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MODERN  GREECE: 


A  NARRATIVE 


RESIDENCE  AND  TRAVELS  IN  THAT  COUNTRY; 


OBSERVATIONS  ON  ITS  ANTIQUITIES,   LITERATURE,  LANGUAGE, 
POLITICS,   AND  RELIGION. 


BY   HENRY  M.  BAIRD,  M.A. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY  ABOUT    SIXTY   ENGRAVINGS. 


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NEW    YORK: 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 
FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 

1856. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-six,  by 

Harper  &  Brothers, 

in  the  Clerk's  Ofiice  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District 
of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


The  author  of  tliis  volume  spent  a  year  at  Athens, 
for  the  prosecution  of  special  studies,  and  traveled  ex- 
tensively, both  in  Peloponnesus  and  in  Northern  Greece. 
During  repeated  tours,  nearly  every  site  famous  in  the 
ancient  history  of  the  country  was  visited,  together  with 
those  places  which  have  figured  prominently  in  more 
recent  transactions.  The  following  pages  are  the  result 
of  observations  noted  at  the  time,  although,  for  various 
reasons,  the  form  of  a  diary  has  not  been  retained 
throughout. 

Several  chapters  have  been  devoted  to  the  literature 
of  Modern  Greece — a  subject  to  which  little  attention 
has  been  given,  out  of  that  country  itself.  The  man- 
ners and  customs,  politics,  religion  and  religious  festi- 
vals, and  the  state  of  popular  education,  have  been  made 
the  topics  of  separate  examination.  The  author  has 
taken  gTcat  satisfaction  in  chronicling  the  unexampled 
progTess  of  the  Greek  race  in  civiKzation  and  intelli- 
gence ;  and,  while  advocating  no  particular  theory  as  to 
its  origin,  has  felt  that  sufficient  interest  and  sympathy 
have  not  been  entertained  in  Christian  Europe  and  Amer- 
ica for  the  struggles  of  that  race  to  free  itself  from  the 
trammels  of  tyranny — political,  religious,  and  intellect- 
ual— with  which  so  many  centuries  of  barbarism  had 
invested  it. 


PEEFACE. 


About  forty  of  tlie  illustrations  in  this  volume  have 
been  executed  after  original  sketches  from  nature. 

The  author  can  not  abstain  from  expressing  in  this 
place  his  obligations  to  the  Rev.  Jonas  King,  D.D.,  and 
his  estimable  lady,  whose  house  was  his  home  for  so 
many  months,  and  whose  suggestions  were  so  useful  to 
him  in  the  prosecution  of  his  plans.  Nor  would  he  fail 
to  mention  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hill,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Ar- 
nold and  Buel,  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  render  his 
sojourn  at  Athens  so  fruitful  of  pleasant  reminiscences. 
He  would  do  injustice  to  his  feelings  were  he  to  leave 
unnoticed  the  open  cordiality  that  characterizes  the  Athe- 
nian men  of  letters,  whether  professors  or  students,  and 
their  readiness  to  facilitate  the  researches  of  the  stranger. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

APPROACH  TO  ATHENS. 
On  the  ^gean. — First  Sight  of  Athens. — Importtmate  Boatmen. — 
PiniMis  and  its  Harbor. — A  Sciote  Merchant. — ^Matrimonial  Negotia- 
tions.— Plain  of  Athens. — A  Panoramic  View. — Kariskakis. — Olive 
Grove  and  Vineyards.  —  Oriental  Habits.  —  An  Unpatriotic  Irish- 
man    Page  13 

CHAPTER  n. 

FIRST  IMPKESSIOXS. 
Labyrinthine  Streets. — Dr.  King. — Scene  at  the  American  Consulate. 
— The  Old  To^m. — Cj-press  and  Palm-trees. — Post-office. — Medrese. 
— Market-place. — Grapes. — Mustale^Tia. — General  Church. — Consti- 
tution of  1843. — Adventures  in  Italy. — ^Nlr.  Finlay,  the  Historian. — 
MediiBval  History. — American  Missionaries 21 

CHAPTER  ni. 

THE  ACROPOLIS. 
Streets  in  Ancient  Athens. — Walls  of  All  Ages. — An  Imprecation. — 
Turkish  Prophecy. — Panatlienaic  Procession. — Propyla;a. — Mutilated 
Statues. — Ancient  Galleries  of  Paintings. — Ducal  Tower. — Temple 
of  Victoiy  Apteros. — Area  of  Acropolis.  —  Parthenon. — Venetian 
Plunderers.  —  Chryselephantine  Statue.  —  Frieze.  —  Excavations.  — 
Antique  Vases. — Erechtheum. — The  Caryatids. — A  Colossal  Statue. 
— British  Vandalism 30 

CHAPTER  IV. 

ANTIQUITIES  OF  THE  LOWER  TO"WN. 
The  City  of  Hadrian. — His  Gate. — Olympium. — Vicissitudes. — A  New 
Simon  Stylites. — Eissiis. — Stadium. — Dandelion  Salad. — Monmnent 
of  Lysicrates. — Street  of  the  Tripods. — Theatre  of  Bacchus. — Virgin 
of  the  Cave. — Odeum  of  Herodes. — Singular  Fragments. — Monument 
of  Philopappus. — The  Long  Walls. — Prison  of  Socrates. — Pnyx. — 
Demosthenes. — Hill  of  Mars. — Ancient  Clock-tower.— Stoa  of  Ha- 
drian.— Gate  of  the  New  Market. — Stoa  Poecile. — Theseum 48 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

WALKS  ABOUT  ATHENS. 
Festival  of  St.  Demetrius. — Visits. — Sweetmeats. — The  Promenade. — 
Palace  Garden. — Costumes  of  the  Athenians. — Beads. — Greek  La- 
dies.— Priests'  Dress. — Lonj^  Hair  woi"n  in  Token  of  Mourning. — 
Plan  of  Modern  Athens. — House  of  a  former  Minister. — Digging 
through  a  Wall. — Position  of  the  Female  Sex. — Mercenary  Motives 
in  MaiTiage Page  G8 

CHAPTER  VI. 

STUDENT  LIFE  IN  ATHENS. 
University  of  Otho. — Professor  Asopius. — University  Library. — Pro- 
fessor Bambas. — Translated  the  Bible. — Singular  Meeting. — Other- 
Professors. —  Students'  Quarters.  —  Low  Salaries.  —  Student  at  the 
Cafe. — The  Four  Faculties. — Number  of  Professors  and  Students. — 
University  educates  Greeks  from  Turkey. — Crowded  Lecture-room. 
— Popular  Education. — Scientific  Schools 77 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

MODERN  GREEK  CUSTOMS. 
Wedding  in  the  Upper  Circles.  —  A  Greek  Party. — The  Bride  and 
Groom. — Entrance  of  the  Bishop. — Crowning  the  Pair. — A  Cup  of 
Wine. — A  Circle  made. — Sugar  Plums. — A  Compulsoiy  Marriage. — 
Marriage  among  the  Lower  Orders. — Relatives  make  the  Match. — 
Preliminary  Steps. — Gifts  to  the  Bride's  Father. — Nuptial  Procession. 
— ^Bride  carried  away. — Termination  of  the  Festivities. — A  Greek 
Baptism. — Trine  Immersion. — A  Token  given  to  Witnesses. — A  Fu- 
neral Procession. — Collyva. — Offerings  to  the  Dead 88 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

THE  COURT  AND  POLITICS  OF  GREECE. 
American  Vessels  of  War. — Colocotroni,  Master  of  Ceremonies. — Ad- 
venture of  an  American  Lieutenant. — Cautious  Officers. — Presenta- 
tion at  Court. — Queen  Amelia. — King  Otho. — The  Constitution. — Con- 
stitutional Provisions. — Liberty  Guaranteed. — Elections. — A  Political 
Measure. — Eussian,  French,  and  English  Parties. — The  Cro^\^l  in- 
dependent.— Bad  State  of  Roads. — Banditti  in  the  Mountains...  103 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  GREEK  CHURCH. 
Nationality  and  Religion. — TTie  Holy  Synod. — Separation  from  the 
Patriarchate. — The  Synodical  Tome. —  Pharmakides. — Differences 
from  the  Latin  Church. — Tlie  Catechism  of  Plato. — Mariolatry. — 
The  Parish  Priests. — Ignorance  and  Corruption. — Pilgrims  to  the 
Holy  Places. — Ecclesiastical  Parties. — Obstacles  to  Missionary  Suc- 
cess.— Dr.  King. — Dr.  Hill. — Hopeful  Indications 115 


3 


CONTENTS.  VU 

CHAPTER  X. 

CHURCH  FESTIVALS  AT  ATHENS. 
Silent  Streets. — The  Twelve  Gospels.  —  Persecution  of  the  Jews. — 
Good  Friday  at  St.  Irene's. — The  Epitaphion. — A  Torchlight  Proces- 
sion.— Kyrie  Eleyson. — Easter  Dawn. — Christos  Aneste. — The  Sec- 
ond Anastasis. — Dances  at  the  Temple  of  Theseus. — The  Romjiica, 
— Blessing  the  Sea. — Feast  of  the  Three  Hierarchs. — Interior  of  a, 
Church. — Celebration  of  the  Mass. — Standing  in  Worship.  Page  128 

CHAPTER  XL 

THREE  DAYS  IN  ARGOLIS. 
Passports. — Leanng  Pirreus. — A  Party  on  Deck. — A  Representative 
Electioneering. — Island  of  Hydra. — The  Home  of  Liberty. — Nauplia 
from  the  Bay. — The  Lernian  Hydra. — Streets  of  Nauplia. — Plain  of 
Argos. — Wall  of  Tirras. — Description  by  Pausanias. — Mycenae. — The 
Treasury  of  Atreus. — Acropolis  of  Mycenae. — Gate  of  Lions. — Its 
History. — A  Dish  of  Snails. — Beggars  at  Argos. — Theatre  in  tlie 
Rock. — Market-place  of  Argos. — Murder  of  Capo  d'lstria. — Pass  of 
Trcetus. — Rout  of  Drami  Ali. — A  Rainy  Morning. — The  Temj)le  of 
Nemea. — Khan  of  Courtessa. — Shepherds'  Huts. — The  Inn  at  Cor- 
inth.— The  Acrocorinthus. — St.  Paul  at  Corinth. — The  Isthmus.  137 

CHAPTER  XII. 

^GINA  AND  EPIDAURUS. 
Mode  of  Ti-aveling. — Selection  of  a  Guide. — Delay  at  Pirteus. — Be- 
calmed on  the  Saronic  Gulf. — Devotions  of  the  Sailors. — The  Island 
of  ^gina. — Temple  of  Jupiter  Panhellenius. — Sail  to  Epidaurus. — 
'  Declaration  of  Independence. — Ruins  of  Epidaurus. — Nicholas  and 
the  Agoyates. — Hiero  of  .^sculapius. — An  Ancient  Watering-place. 
— Nauplia 160 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MANTINEA—TRIPOLITZA— SPARTA. 
The  Argolic  Plain. — Routes  into  Arcadia. — A  Katavothron. — Hysias. — 
Plain  of  Mantinea. — Ruins  of  the  Wall. — Battles  at  Mantinea. — SmaU- 
ness  of  Grecian  States. — Fair  at  Tripolitza. — A  Murderous  Assault. — 
Tegea. — A  Country  Papas. — Tardy  Vegetation. — Battle-field  of  Sella- 
sia. — Vourlia. — A  Portable  Cradle. — Site  of  Ancient  Sparta. — Roman 
Euins. — Modern  Sparta. — A  Sarcophagus. — Interior  of  a  Ivhan...  173 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

MEGALOPOLIS  AND  MESSENE. 

Ride  to  "  The  Great  City."— The  Theatre.— Inquisitive  Scholars.— Mo- 

reote  Shepherds. — Messenian  Plain. — Mount  Ithome. — Struggles  of 

Freedom. — I'olicy  of  Epaminondas. — Monastery  of  Vurcano. — Ruins 

of  Messene. — The  Great  Gate. — Rustic  Wonderment. — Dragoi..  192 


VIU  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

PHIGALEA,  OLYMPIA,  AND  ARCADI.V. 

Phigalea. — The  Sirocco. — Temple  of  Apollo  Epicurius. — Andritzena. — 
Banks  of  the  Alpheus. — Tributaries  of  the  Alpheus. — Vale  of  Olym- 
pia. — Temple  of  Jupiter. — Eide  to  Lala. — A  Scene  in  the  Revolu- 
tion.—  An  Aftei-noon  at  Tripotamo.  —  Psophis.  —  A  New  Route. — 
Village  Discussion. — Clitor. — Ancient  Coins. — Arcadian  Shepherds. 
— Primitive  Ploughs. — Greek  Oaths. — Outlet  of  Lake  Pheneus. — A 
Serious  Mishap. — The  Monastery  of  Phouia Page  203 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

STYX,  MEGASPELION,  AND  VOSTITZA. 

A  Costly  Shrine. — A  Monk's  Views  of  Philosophy. — The  Village  of 
Solos. — Patriotic  Exploits. — A  primitive  Lamp. — The  "  River  Styx." 
— Its  mysterious  Properties. — View  of  the  Corinthian  Gulf. — Birth- 
place of  the  Revolution. — Calavryta. — Cross-questioning. — Monas- 
tery of  Megaspelion. — The  Monks. — St.  Luke  as  a  Sculptor. — The 
Wine-cellar. — Library. — History  of  Megaspelion. — Ride  to  Vostitza. 
— Bargaining  for  a  Boat 218 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

DELPHI— PARNASSUS— CH^EONEA. 

Crossing  the  Corinthian  Gulf. — Scala  of  Salona. — Crissa. — Necropolis 
of  Delphi. — Village  of  Castri. — Castalian  Fount. — Oracle  of  Apollo. 
— Ascent  of  Mount  Parnassus. — Corycian  Cave. — A  Disappointment. 
—  Schiste.  —  Daulis.  —  Panopeus.  —  Battle-ground  of  Clueronea.  — 
Tumulus  and  Colossal  Lion. — Population  of  Greece. — Lebadea  or 
Livadia. — Cave  of  Trojjhonius. — Monastery  of  Scripu — Treasury  of 
Minyas. — Acropolis  of  Orchomcnus. — Lake  Copals. — Victory  of  the 
Catalans. — A  "Kake  Scala." — Ruins  of  Abte 232 

CHAPTER  XVin. 

TIIERMOPYL^  AND  EUBCEA. 

Costume  of  the  Women  at  Exarcho. — Hyampolis. — Masonry  of  the 
Ancients. — Elatea. — Seizure  of  Elatea  by  Philip. — Consternation  at 
Athens. — The  Papas  at  Pundonitza. — Pass  of  Thermopylaj. — Change 
of  Physical  Aspect. — The  Hot  Springs. — Thessaly  Phthiotis. — Lamia 
or  Zeitun. — Robbers. — Their  Inroad  into  Rachi. — Tortures. — Larissa 
Cremaste. — Detention  by  a  Health-officer. — Crossing  to  Eubcea. — 
Oreos  or  Histicea. — Xerochori. — Fine  Scenery. — An  Englishman's 
Estate.— Insecurity. — Traveling  in  Eubaea. — Chalcis. — Discovery  of 
Ancient  Armor 249 


1 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THEBES  AND  ELEUSIS. 

Chalcis  under  Venetian  Rule. — Euripus. — Bridge. — An  Ancient  Greek 
Road. — Site  of  Aulis. — Plain  of  the  Asopus. — Tanagra. — Thebes. — 
Thebau  Plain. — SiteofThespiiB. — Fountain  of  Aganippe. — Battle-ticld 
of  Leuctra. — Plat;ta. — Battle-gi'ound. — Ascent  of  Mount  Citha;ron. 
— Acropolis  of  Qunoe. — Interior  of  a  Tower. — Ancient  Fortifications. 
— Hellenic  Tower. — Village  and  Acropolis  of  Eleusis. — The  Sacred 
Way. — Monastery  of  Daphne. — Return  to  Athens Page  i'G>S 

CHATTER  XX. 

RAMBLES  IN  ATTICA. 

Excursion  to  Marathon. — Cephisia. — Pass  of  Deceleia. — Plain  of  Mara- 
thon.— Cvnosura. — Funeral  Mound. — Battle-ground. — Numbers  en- 
gaged.— Temple  of  Minena  Hellotis. — Marathona. — Return. — Ex- 
cursion to  Sunium. — Fountains  built  by  the  Road-side. — Silver  Mines 
of  Mount  Laurium. — Temple  of  Minerva  at  Sunium. — Excursion  to 
Phyle.  —  Cei)hissus.  —  Colonos.  —  Calyvia  of  Khassia.  —  Fortress  of 
Phyle. — View  of  Athens. — Thrasybulus  at  Phyle. — Excursion  to  the 
Marble  Quarries  of  Pentelicus. — Village  of  Calandri. — The  Arbutus. 
— Quarries. — Inclined  Plane. — Prospect  from  the  Summit  of  Mount 
Pentelicus. — Mount  Hymettus. — A  Warrior  Abbot. — Honey  of  Hy- 
mettus. — Straits  of  Salamis. — Battle  of  Salamis 283 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  MODERN  GKEEK  L.\NGUAGE. 

Close  Resemblance  to  the  Ancient. — Its  Disadvantage  in  Comparison 
with  other  modem  Languages. — Sounds  of  its  Consonants  and  Diph- 
thongs.— Pronounced  according  to  Accent. — Grammatical  Changes. 
— Introduction  of  Words  from  Foreign  Tongues. — Reaction  within 
the  present  Century. — Intluence  of  the  University,  the  Government, 
and  the  Press. — Number  of  Newspapers  and  Periodicals  at  Ath- 
ens    307 

CHAPTER  XXn. 

THE  MODERN  GREEK  LITERATURE. 

Low  Condition  of  Greece  in  the  Last  Century. — A  Re^•ival  of  Learn- 
ing. —  New  Schools. — -A  Religious  Literature.  —  Remarks  of  Lord 
Byron.  —  '•  Cuthrejites  rw/««(Vo«."— Adamantius  Coray.  —  His  Early 
Life. — Taught  by  Bernard  Keun. — Removes  to  France. — Translates 
Strabo. — Various  Publications. — His  Prolegomena. — Papa  Trechas. 
—  Religious  Views  of  Coray.  —  Translates  the  ' '  Ad%'ice  of  Three 
Bishops." — Considers  the  Revolution  premature. — Neophytus  Doukas. 
— His  Views  in  respect  to  the  Modern  Greek,  and  those  of  Coray. — 
Publications  of  Doukas. — Panagiotes  Soutsos. — Alexander  Soutsos. — 
A2 


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iMJ&iMHifl  a*  in  dtt  fiulbi^ — Tamffiff  <«  a  W<ini»3i^  Kkct — IViadi  ti 

«f  Afe  nui&. — Cte  ^«{siil  <>ciaeafli& — JIU  l^coou. — Ai  &  Vr<«dJDaic- 
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1 38 


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Ac  OoK.— ^meh  «(r  ite  IQi^*^  jyaoEusi:.— Ceaedl  fir  die  Acs 

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GcMXK.  t/g  TTniNnrt^  XI  ASSKSS _~- 13 

ACBOrOUS  VBOS 'SBB  P^TX 21 

The  YttimMA. 3© 

Temhs  «fr  TKBHETinEiBoimnissa ^ 

The  PjuenaaROHF .. _ ~ : 3S 

Tsaszm.  or  the  PjiKnnawr fl^ 

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CmatLyeK  Haaxmasi  or  I.T«nt*TE».— » 

Stmiii:!  «» 1HB  TknoDS ~  55 

Odecs  or  BkBOOKa 38 

MoBfcmaa  or  PHixaetfraa O 

IRjkS-KMXSMr  BKOU  IHK  KsBinHEn  flV  T.»uii^"^.»'W»  „_.____„„_      C7 

'BaaoLostcM  or  Asasoomccs  CvmuuiaiES fiS 

Sciss  or  IKE  TEaoiE  or  the  OtrmrtaiS  Jovs 75 

UsivEBStrr  or  Osao  xx  Aiwii.'iia 77 

The  AcaomKS  KEacoKEa » 87 

The  AoBoraiBi;  lUH  1HE  Kox.  or  IHK  SfesEBK 88 

ViEir  or  AxHEss 103 

A  <^EKEK  ChCBCH IIS 

ToDPiJB  or  Tmtama  at  Awm»w — I'Si 

KunUAr  nHBf  IHE  S&T . 131 

Abcb  or  -EBE  Wall  or  Toerra IM 

Gaie  or  Laooa  xr  Mtce3l£ 119 

Tjehfix  or  Jcmxx  xx  JUimza 13S 

"VkEV or  CoHiarzH  xsd  tbtr  AcBOComaiiiuu*    .    .  .. 139 

Tkhfiz  or  Jvrass.  xi  M&isa 19 

fwffEEM«  or  THE  JLmus  ot  (jwfmfsmASA 113 


xn  ILLUSTRATIOXS. 

Wall  of  the  Citadel  at  Argos 174 

View  of  Mount  Taygetcs  from  the  Site  of  Spakta IS-t 

The  Great  Gate  of  Messexe 192 

Ithome,  from  the  Stadium  of  JIessene 201 

Te3iple  of  Apollo  Epicubius  at  Bassjc 203 

RuLss  OF  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  at  Oltsipia 218 

Monastery  of  Megaspeliox 226 

Interior  of  the  Acropolis  of  CEbcoE 233 

View  of  Delphi  and  Mount  Parnassus 237 

The  Plain  of  Ch.eronea 2-11 

EuixED  Tower  near  CEnoe 249 

Peasant  Woman  of  Exarcho 250 

View  of  Thermoptl^ 255 

The  Acropolis  of  CEnoe 268 

Interior  of  a  Tower  at  CEnoe 277 

The  Plain  of  Marathon 283 

The  Mound  at  Marathon 286 

View  of  Phyle 293 

Tebiple  of  Minerva  at  Sunxum 307 

Fortress  of  Phyle 313 

The  Straits  of  Salamis 343 

House  of  Jonas  King,  D.D 355 

Gate  of  th£  New  Agoka 368 


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^ 


S^RE^smsr 


S7 


^' 


^ 


m    I 


''^J-  riMOBO'Sh 


Vn"; 


^ifvVe!>- 


.T*- 


Jlitt/ioT's  ^auie. 


.-m" 


HATE  OF   IIADEIAN   AT  ATUEN8. 


MODERN  GREECE. 


CHAPTER  I. 


APPROACH  TO  ATHENS. 

"Whoever  does  not  wish  to  see  Athens,  is  foolish  ;  he  who  sees  it  and 
is  not  pleased  with  it,  is  more  foolish  ;  but  the  climax  of  folly  is  to  have 
seen  it,  to  be  pleased  with  it,  and  yet  to  leave  it." — Ancient  Author. 

On  a  beautiful  morniug  toward  the  end  of  September,  I 
found  myself  on  board  the  French  steam-ship  Lijcurge,  off  the 
eastern  coast  of  Lacedajmonia.  For  the  last  three  days,  since 
leaving  Valetta,  we  had  been  sailing  slowly  and  quietly  over  a 
motionless  sea  in  a  direct  course  for  Cape  Matapan.  Only  at 
noon,  on  the  previous  day,  had  the  faint  outline  of  distant 
mountains  become  perceptible ;  and  at  dusk  we  approached 
the  shores  of  Messenia.  We  were  not  yet  near  enough,  how- 
ever, to  view  with  any  distinctness  the  island  of  Sphacteria, 
behind  which  was  fought  the  Battle  of  Navarino. 


14  APPKOACH    TO    ATHENS. 

The  wind  had  been  contrary  all  night,  and  we  made  but 
little  progi'css  after  doubling  Cape  Matapan.  When  I  came 
on  deck  in  the  morning,  the  first  objects  visible  on  shore  Avere 
the  high  mountains,  not  very  distant,  that  skirt  this  side  of 
Peloponnesus.  So  bairen  did  they  seem,  that  scarce  a  patch 
of  verdure  relieved  their  rugged  uniformity.  Below  this  rocky 
chain  could  be  descried,  as  though  rising  out  of  the  waves, 
the  sea-girt  walls  and  towers  of  Monembasia,  a  locality  which 
finds  no  record  in  ancient  history,  but  has  appeared  conspic- 
uous in  recent  wars.  Built,  not  unlike  Gibraltar,  on  the  end 
of  a  small  peninsula,  it  is  so  strongly  fortified  both  by  nature 
and  by  art  as  to  be  nearly  impregnable. 

The  sea  was  calm  and  unrufiled.  Not  a  ripple  could  be  seen 
disturbing  its  placid  surface.  The  sky  was  cloudless,  and  the 
day  one  of  the  fairest  of  autumn.  The  clear  atmosphere  gave 
to  all  around  a  deceptive  appearance,  which  was  quite  new 
to  me.  The  most  distant  objects  seemed  close  at  hand,  and  I 
could  scarcely  credit  the  assertion  of  the  captain  that  we  were 
at  least  five  or  six  miles  from  shore.  The  steamer  plowed  its 
way  as  over  the  dark  blue  waters  of  some  small  inland  lake. 

We  were  not  many  hours  in  crossing  the  mouth  of  the  Ar- 
golic  Gulf,  and  approaching  the  group  of  islands  that  lie  off 
the  extremity  of  the  northeastern  peninsula  of  the  Morea. 
The  pretty  town  of  Spetzia  appeared  on  our  left,  built  upon 
the  side  of  a  hill  and  running  down  to  the  water's  edge.  In 
half  an  hour  more  we  were  opposite  the  picturesque  town  of 
Hydra,  where  were  born  most  of  the  distinguished  naval  com- 
manders in  the  Revolution.  At  length,  about  noon,  we  en- 
tered the  Saronic  Gulf,  and  Attica  itself  came  into  sight.  The 
passengers  collected  on  the  bows,  and  watched  with  eager  eyes 
the  shore,  which  seemed  rather  to  recede  as  we  advanced.  The 
only  unconcerned  spectators  were  a  group  of  Frenchmen,  who, 
seated  on  a  pile  of  luggage  on  the  forecastle,  Avere  diverting 
themselves  with  a  game  of  cards.  Running  by  the  island  of 
^gina,  on  whose  height  we  could  easily  distinguish  with  a 
glass  the  ruined  columns  of  the  temple  of  Jupiter,  in  the 
midst  of  a  wild  and  desolate  district,  we  made  toward  the  port 
of  Pirams.  For  miles  far  out  on  the  Saronic  Gulf,  a  white 
building  served  as  a  beacon  to  indicate  the  site  of  Athens  it- 


PIRAEUS    AND   ITS    ITARBOK.  15 

self.  It  was  the  palace  of  King  Otho.  The  rest  of  the  town 
was  hidden  from  om"  sight  by  the  hill  of  the  Acropolis.  Pres- 
ently we  could  see  the  high  signal-pole  standing  on  the  prom- 
ontory Munychium.  At  about  four  o'clock  we  had  rounded 
it,  and  were  entering  Pira3us  through  a  narrow  opening,  guard- 
ed on  both  sides  by  the  ruins  of  ancient  moles. 

The  paddle-wheels  had  scarcely  ceased  to  move  before  we 
were  sun-ounded  by  a  multitude  of  row-boats,  each  manned 
by  a  Greek  in  the  native  costume,  wearing  the  bright  red  fezi 
slouched  on  his  head,  and  a  long  blue  tassel  fluttering  in  the 
wind.  All  were  loud  in  their  appeals ;  but  as  the  quarantine 
officers  had  not  yet  made  us  their  visit,  they  kept  a  respectful 
distance.  ^'■Have  a  boat,  sir?"  "  Voulez-vous  un  hdteauf  re- 
sounded from  all  quarters ;  while  the  less  favored  linguists,  re- 
lying mainly  on  the  strength  of  their  lungs  to  make  themselves 
understood,  poured  forth  a  volley  of  unintelligible  Greek. 
Though  I  had  been  schooling  myself  to  the  native  pronuncia- 
tion under  the  friendly  direction  of  a  pleasant  Sciote,  whose 
lessons  had  relieved  the  tedium  of  the  passage  from  Marseilles, 
their  volubility  was  too  much  for  my  small  practice.  Rather 
than  resign  myself  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  boatmen,  I  re- 
solved to  make  common  cause  with  my  companion,  the  Greek 
merchant.  After  a  short  delay,  leave  was  given  us  to  land, 
and  this  served  as  a  signal  for  the  simultaneous  onset  of  half 
a  score  of  couriers  and  runners  for  the  hotels,  each  eager  to 
get  custom.  We  soon  found  the  one  we  wanted,  and,  having 
secured  our  luggage,  embarked  in  one  of  the  boats  for  shore. 
"We  left  the  motley  group  of  watermen,  expecting  every  mo- 
ment to  see  them  fall  from  brawling  to  fighting;  but  their  dis- 
putes never  result  in  any  thing  more  serious  than  the  success 
of  one  in  supplanting  the  rest. 

The  harbor  of  PirjBus  is  less  than  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
in  length,  and  opens  toward  the  west ;  where,  between  the 
piers  that  project  from  either  side,  a  heavy  chain  was  stretched 
during  the  earlier  ages.  The  modern  towTi  lines  the  eastern 
side  with  a  continuous  row  of  neat  white  houses,  generally 
two  stories  in  height.  A  number  of  sloops  and  caiques  were 
dra^vn  up  to  the  wharves,  but  the  brigs  and  larger  vessels 
stood  out  at  anchor  in  deeper  water. 


lt>  APPROACH    TO    ATHENS. 

A  custom-house  officer  and  a  dozen  idlers  awaited  our  ax"- 
rival  on  Grecian  soil.  The  examination  of  our  effects  was 
brief,  owing,  perhaps,  partly  to  the  happy  influence  of  a  silver 
coin  or  two,  which  my  companion  managed  to  slip  dexterously 
into  the  hand  of  the  inspecting  officer.  We  were  in  no  mood 
after  our  long  sea-voyage  to  remain  longer  than  necessary  at 
Piraeus.  ]\Iy  friend  and  myself  were  equally  intent  upon 
reaching  our  journey's  end,  and  enjoying  a  respite  from  the 
fatigue  and  vexation  of  travel,  I  am  wrong,  however,  in 
representing  our  eagerness  as  equal.  1  had  before  me  only 
the  prospect  of  a  long,  though,  it  is  true,  far  from  uninterest- 
ing course  of  study,  on  classic  ground.  The  Sciote  who  stood 
beside  me,  an  intelligent  man  of  five-and-forty,  had  accumu- 
lated a  handsome  fortune  in  foreign  parts,  and  was  connected 
with  the  extensive  mercantile  house  of  A.  and  Co.*  He  had 
come  hither,  as  I  subsequently  learned,  on  an  errand  of  love. 

*  Mr.  A.,  from  his  extensive  business  connections,  was  able  to  give 
me  much  valuable  information  respecting  tlie  Greek  mercantile  houses, 
which  are  every  year  increasing  in  number  and  in  importance.  I  was 
astonished  to  learn  how  numerous  they  are.  They  alread}'  abound  iu 
England.  Manchester  may  be  styled  their  head-quarters,  for  there  are 
no  fewer  than  sixttj  Greek  establishments  in  that  city.  London  possesses 
fortii  more,  and  Liverpool  seven.  Trieste  boasts  of  seventy,  and  Mar- 
seilles, Odessa,  and  Leghorn,  each  of  more  than  twenty.  How  many 
are  to  be  found  in  Constantinople  it  is  quite  impossible  to  state :  cer- 
tainly one  hundred  would  be  a  very  small  estimate.  Such  Mere  the 
statements  of  a  merchant,  than  whom  no  one  could  be  found  with  bet- 
ter means  of  acquiring  accurate  information.  The  wonderful  success 
of  these  commercial  houses  he  attributed  to  their  unity  of  action  more 
than  to  any  other  single  cause.  Prudence  in  all  their  investments,  com- 
bined with  rare  sagacity,  has  insured  them  against  loss  of  capital  and  rep- 
utation. The  great  houses  of  Rallis,  Argentis,  and  others,  have  branches 
all  over  the  globe,  each  to  a  certain  dey;ree  independent,  and  yet  each 
reposing  an  implicit  confidence  in  the  others.  In  this  way,  by  their  tact 
and  by  their  union,  the  Greek  houses  have  begun  to  exercise  an  impor- 
tant influence  on  the  trade  of  the  East,  which  is  little  by  little  falling 
into  their  hands.  Through  their  instrumentality,  Manchester  fabrics 
are  distributed  over  Asia  Minor  in  exchange  for  native  produce.  The 
Eastern  war  has  doubtless  augmented  their  influence  ujion  the  grain 
market  of  the  world,  and  the  number  of  Greek  merchants  at  Liverpool 
must  now  be  far  greater  than  in  1851.  Mr.  A.'s  statements  are  con- 
firmed in  almost  every  particular  by  the  writer  of  an  able  article  on 
til  is  subject  in  the  New  York  Daily  Times  of  October  20,  185.5. 


PLAIN    OF    ATHENS.  17 

Having  well-nigli,  if  not  quite,  attained  the  age  of  an  old 
bachelor,  he  had  bethought  himself  of  matrimony ;  and,  cast- 
ing about  for  a  wife,  had  fixed  his  choice  upon  a  certain  dam- 
sel whose  good  looks  and  good  qualities  he  had  taken  upon 
trust.  The  negotiations  between  the  parents  and  himself  (for 
it  is  not  customary  to  attach  much  weight  to  the  young  lady's 
choice  in  such  matters)  had  proved  mutually  satisfactory. 
The  happy  man  was  now  on  his  way  to  Athens  for  the  first 
time  to  find  his  betrothed,  of  whose  personal  appearance,  ex- 
cept by  means  of  a  portrait  and  descriptions,  he  knew  about 
as  much  as  I  did.  The  lady  in  question  Avas  also  a  native 
of  Scio,  Avhose  cliildi-en  rarely  marry  into  families  of  foreign 
extraction. 

Our  courier  had  provided  a  carriage,  one  of  the  best  the 
place  could  boast  of,  and  we  jumped  in  ;  the  Greek  official 
touched  his  cap,  and  we  rattled  off  through  the  streets  of 
Pu'a3us.  We  noticed,  in  passing,  that  the  streets  along  the 
wharves  were  well  paved,  and  all  the  thoroughfares  laid  out 
with  strict  regard  to  symmetry  and  a  regular  plan.  The  bet- 
ter class  of  houses,  too,  were  built  of  stone,  neatly  stuccoed. 
It  was  not  long  ere  we  emerged  from  the  town,  and  entered 
upon  the  road  which  leads  in  a  nearly  direct  line  to  Athens, 
a  distance  of  about  five  miles.  Nothing  was  requisite  to  be- 
guile our  attention  as  Ave  rode  toAvard  "the  city,"  as  the  Athe- 
nian of  the  olden  time  Avas  wont  to  style  it  by  pre-eminence. 
We  sat  watching  with  no  common  emotion  the  various  ob- 
jects that  successively  presented  themselves  to  the  eye.  For 
the  first  time  I  began  to  realize  that  I  AA'as  at  length  in  Greece, 
and  that  the  curtain  was  soon  to  rise  upon  the  scene  of  so 
many  triumphs  of  art  and  eloquence.  As  Ave  issued  from  the 
streets  of  Pirjeus,  the  heights  back  of  the  town  intercepted 
the  whole  prospect ;  but  presently  the  plain  of  Athens  unfold- 
ed itself  before  us  in  all  its  loAeliness.  On  the  right,  but  a 
few  hundred  yards  distant,  Avas  the  bay  of  Phalerum,  running 
parallel  to  the  road,  and  afterward  making  a  gradual  bend 
where  the  sea  is  nearest  to  Athens.  Beyond  it  stretched  the 
long  ridge  of  Mount  Hymettus,  barren  of  trees  and  uncultivated. 
To  the  left,  in  the  distance,  rose  the  more  pointed  summit 
of  Pentelicus,  whose  marble  rock,  exposed  by  tlie  quarryings 


18  ArPUOAGII   'I'O   ATHENS. 

weighed  down  under  the  heavy  load  of  the  dark-blue  clusters, 
of  past  centuries,  reflected  the  rays  of  the  sun  like  new-fallen 
snow.  Then  came  Mount  Parnes,  and  a  chain  of  lower  hills 
running  down  from  it  to  the  sea-shore  opposite  the  Straits  of 
Salamis,  whose  rugged  isle,  cleft  with  many  a  deep  ravine, 
terminated  the  panorama.  In  the  midst  of  the  plain  could  be 
descried,  far  on  before  us,  the  city  of  Athens  itself,  or  rather 
a  portion  of  it ;  for  the  greater  part  lay  concealed  behind  the 
Acropolis,  on  whose  summit  could  barely  be  distinguished  the 
columns  of  the  Parthenon,  so  discolored  by  time  as  to  have 
assumed  a  sober  autumnal  tint. 

For  two  or  three  miles  the  dusty  road  along  which  we  drove 
has  been  built  on  the  foundations  of  one  of  the  "  Long  Walls" 
connecting  Athens  with  its  port.  Adjoining  it  is  a  low, 
marshy  meadow,  in  the  middle  of  which  stands  a  lonely  mon- 
ument, small  and  plain,  marking  the  grave  of  Kariskakis,  who 
fell  here  in  a  conflict  with  the  Turks  during  the  Revolution. 
The  ground  about  it  is  strewn  with  the  bones  of  his  brave 
comrades,  and  ever  and  anon,  as  the  plough  or  some  accident 
reveals  to  the  sight  a  skull  or  a  solitary  bone,  the  peasant  adds 
it  to  the  heap  which  has  accumulated  within  a  neighboring  in- 
closure,  where  the  remains  of  so  many  heroes  he  bleaching  in 
the  sun. 

Passing  this  spot,  the  road  crossed  the  scanty  bed  of  the 
Cephissus,  and  entered  the  olive-grove  which  clothes  either 
bank  of  the  river  with  its  dai'k-green  foliage.  The  trunks  of 
the  olive-trees  were  thick,  and  occasionally  assumed  fantastic 
shapes  like  the  willows  that  grow  in  some  parts  of  Switzer- 
land. Emerging  from  the  grove,  which  only  flourishes  where 
the  trees  can  be  constantly  supplied  with  water,  we  came  to 
vineyards,  each  surrounded  with  its  low  wall  of  sun-dried  clay, 
and  protected  from  the  effects  of  sunshine  and  rain  by  a  sort 
of  thatch  of  straw  or  brush.  The  vines,  like  all  surrounding 
vegetation,  had  a  dry  and  dusty  aspect.  Not  a  green  patch 
of  grass  was  any  where  to  be  seen.  The  distant  fields  were 
brown,  as  if  parched  by  the  prevailing  heat ;  for  since  April 
or  May  no  rain  had  fallen,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of 
one  or  two  transient  showers.  The  vines  were  kept  trimmed 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  ground,  and  the  branches  were 


ORIENTAL   HABITS.  ' '•> 

The  vintage  had  begun  some  weeks  previous,  but  was  not  yet 
half  over. 

At  length,  winding  about  the  base  of  the  hill  of  the  Observ- 
atory, we  found  ourselves  at  the  very  portal  of  Athens.  The 
various  objects  that  struck  the  eye  were  already  familiar  to 
me  through  descriptions  and  delineations.  The  Greek  mer- 
chant was  astonished  to  see  a  stranger  from  the  New  World 
pointing  out  with  readiness  the  ruins  which  he  had  never  be- 
fore surveyed.  The  Parthenon,  with  its  brown  columns  tow- 
ering above  the  tOAvn  on  the  lofty  Acropolis,  was  not  to  be 
mistaken.  The  Pnyx,  witness  to  the  eloquence  of  Demos- 
thenes, and  the  Hill  of  Mars,  where  St.  Paul  addressed  the 
men  of  ancient  Athens,  were  both  on  the  right ;  while  the  Tem- 
ple of  Theseus,  the  oldest,  yet  the  best  preserved  monument  of 
Greece,  stood  but  a  few  steps  from  the  entrance  to  the  modern 
town. 

I  had  been  much  interested  in  speculating  upon  the  proba- 
ble aspect  of  the  modem  town,  and  the  condition  of  its  inhab- 
itants. From  the  desponding  accounts  of  former  travelers,  I 
had  formed  rather  low  conceptions  of  Greek  civilization  and 
intelligence.  The  descriptions  of  the  people,  their  appearance 
and  manners,  had  left  me  in  doubt  whether  they  were  not  to 
be  classed  among  semi-barbarous  nations  of  the  earth.  Yet 
there  lurked  a  secret  hope  that  I  might  find  that  some  prejudice 
had  inclined  those  travelers  to  look  with  too  little  sympathy 
upon  the  struggles  of  a  nation  shaking  off  the  chains  of  twenty 
centuries  of  servitude.  Their  foibles,  I  imagined,  ought  to  be 
viewed  rather  with  the  eye  of  a  Democritus  than  with  that  of 
an  Heraclitus.  Whether  my  anticipations  were  correct  or  not 
will  be  gathered  from  the  sequel.  I,  at  least,  looked  with  de- 
light upon  every  symptom  of  refinement,  and  congratulated 
myself  upon  the  prospect  of  comfort  in  my  future  sojourn. 

We  had  arrived  on  Sunday.  The  day  being  universally 
kept  rather  as  a  period  of  recreation  than  as  one  sacred  to  re- 
ligious purposes,  the  streets  were  thronged  with  people  engaged 
either  in  promenading  or  in  visiting  their  friends.  Their  strik- 
ing costumes,  so  different  from  any  thing  to  be  seen  in  western 
cities,  gave  peculiar  animation  to  the  scene.  A  characteristic, 
however,  which  could  not  but  force  itself  on  the  observation, 


20  APPROACH    TO    ATHENS. 

was  the  fact  that  so  few  well-dressed  women  were  to  be  seen 
in  the  crowd ;  and  on  closer  investigation  I  learned  that  they 
were  never  alloAved  to  walk  out  alone  or  unaccompanied  by 
husband  or  father.  Such  is  stiU  the  strength  of  Eastern  hab- 
its and  notions  of  propriety,  notwithstanding  the  increased 
communication  with  the  rest  of  Europe. 

We  drove  thi'ough  a  number  of  winding  streets  to  the  Ho- 
tel d' Orient,  an  old  and  inelegant  edifice  fronting  on  a  neglect- 
ed square  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Eoyal  Mint.  The 
building  had  formerly  served  as  the  palace  of  the  young  King 
Otho,  on  occasion  of  his  first  coming  to  Greece ;  and  I  was,  I 
am  credibly  informed,  so  fortunate  as  to  occupy  his  majesty's 
bedchamber,  in  which  I  spent  my  first  night  at  Athens.  The 
only  other  lodgers  at  the  hotel  were  a  couple  of  Irishmen,  with 
whom  my  Sciote  companion  and  I  partook  gayly  of  a  good 
dinner  at  the  table  d'hote,  ending  off  with  a  dessert  of  delicious 
grapes  and  figs,  and  a  taste  of  the  famous  Hymettus  honey.  The 
younger  Irishman  was  the  correspondent  of  a  London  journal, 
but  stood  in  daily  expectation  of  a  post  under  the  Greek  gov- 
ernment. He  considered  himself  secure  of  a  professorship  of 
English  in  the  royal  g}^mnasium  of  Patras,  to  which  he  con- 
ceived himself  entitled  by  reason  of  services  rendered  during 
the  late  difficulties  between  Great  Britain  and  this  country. 
His  rather  unpatriotic  eifusions  in  defence  of  the  Gi*eek  min- 
istry attracted  considerable  notice  at  the  time  of  their  publica- 
tion in  England. 


ACROrOLIS  FROM   THE  PNTX. 

CHAPTER  n. 

FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 

TiiE  hours  were  too  fashionable  at  the  Hotel  d'Orient.  I 
was  impatient  to  sally  forth  ;  but  breakfast  could  not  be  served 
before  nine  o'clock.  Instead,  therefore,  of  undertaking  to  ex- 
plore the  labyrinth  of  alleys  we  had  passed  through  the  night 
before,  I  received  from  my  good  friend  the  Sciote  a  parting  les- 
son in  pronunciation,  with  which  I  graduated  from  his  school. 
Fortified  with  a  good  meal  and  a  store  of  Greek  phrases,  I  set 
out  to  find  the  individuals  for  whom  I  brought  lettei's  of  intro- 
duction. I  had  too  little  confidence  in  my  own  proficiency  to 
trust  myself  alone,  and  mine  host  committed  me  to  a  guide, 
who  should  conduct  me  first  to  the  house  of  Dr.  King.  Avoid- 
ing the  principal  thoroughfares,  he  led  me  by  the  nearest  route, 
which  happened  to  be  through  a  maze  of  crooked  lanes  branch- 
ing off  at  every  possible  angle.  Their  average  breadth  could 
scarcely  exceed  twenty  feet,  and  they  were  often  lined  with 
blank  walls,  or  houses  without  a  single  window  opening  on 
the  street.  More  frequently  the  heavy  iron  bars  with  which 
the  latter  were  provided  conveyed  the  impression  that  the  in- 
mates lived  in  hourly  apprehension  of  a  burglar's  attack.  We 
issued  from  one  of  these  alleys  into  a  wider  street,  paved  with 


22  FIRST   IMPRESSIONS. 

stone,  and  dignified  by  the  name  of  Hadrian.  The  garden 
attached  to  Dr.  King's  house  fronts  upon  this  street ;  but,  to 
reach  the  gate,  we  had  to  go  through  a  narrow  lane  which  runs 
along  its  side.  Here  my  conductor  left  me  engaged  in  a  men- 
tal discussion  whether  I  should  ever  be  able  alone  to  retrace 
my  steps  to  my  hotel. 

On  pushing  open  the  heavy  door,  I  found  myself  in  a  mod- 
erate-sized garden,  the  end  of  which  is  bounded  by  a  long  two- 
story  stone  house,  with  a  broad  flight  of  steps  in  front  leading 
to  the  upper  floor.  Dr.  King  himself  was  walking  in  the  gar- 
den. He  courteously  invited  me  to  enter  the  house,  and  in- 
troduced me  to  his  wife,  who  received  me  with  equal  cordial- 
ity. Mrs.  King  is  a  native  Greek,  born  at  Smyrna,  and  had 
never  visited  the  United  States ;  but  she  speaks  English  with 
fluency  and  grace.  Mrs.  King  wore,  like  most  of  the  Greek 
ladies,  the  dress  of  her  native  city.  The  most  characteiistic 
portion  of  this  costume  is  the  head-dress,  consisting  of  a  small 
ve^fezi,  or  skull-cap,  around  which  the  braided  hair  is  wound. 
Dr.  King  is  a  man  of  some  sixty  years,  rather  below  the  me- 
dium stature,  and  apparently  of  a  weak  constitution.  His 
head  is  large  and  intellectual.  His  face  is  a  fair  index  of  his 
character,  in  which  suavity  of  manner  and  warmth  of  heart 
are  associated  with  an  unusual  measure  of  determination  and 
energy.  In  its  well-defined  lineaments  one  may  read  the  man 
"  whom  no  contumely,  no  violence,  no  danger  can  move  from 
the  cause  he  has  undertaken,  and  the  opinions  he  has  es- 
poused."* Principle  has  been  weighed  in  him,  and  has  not 
been  found  wanting. 

Dr.  King  had  already  been  acquainted  by  letter  with  the 
objects  of  ray  coming  to  Greece.  He  entered  into  them  with 
warmth,  and  expressed  his  desire  to  assist  in  their  furtherance 
to  the  extent  of  his  power.  He  concluded  by  kindly  insisting 
on  my  spending  at  least  the  first  months  of  my  sojourn  under 
his  roof,  where  the  Greek  is  almost  exclusively  spoken,  until 
I  should  become  more  familiar  with  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  country.  I  felt  no  disposition  to  decline  an  invitation 
so  cordially  extended,  and  that  very  afternoon  I  found  myself 
domiciled  at  his  house. 

*  Cicero  pro  Ligario,  c.  9. 


SCKNE    AT   TUE    ASIERICAN    CONSULATE.  23 

Bfesides  his  duties  as  missionary  of  the  American  Board, 
Dr.  King  was  then  also  discharging  the  functions  of  consul 
of  the  United  States.  The  latter  office,  though  not  one  of  his 
own  seeking,  and,  indeed,  forced  upon  him  by  circumstances 
beyond  liis  control,  had  lately  been  of  considerable  service. 
One  Sabbath  morning,  not  many  months  before  my  arrival, 
his  Greek  service  was  attended  by  an  uncommonly  large  num- 
ber of  persons.  Among  the  rest  came  some  beardless  youths, 
as  it  soon  became  evident,  for  the  express  purpose  of  creating 
a  disturbance.  At  the  close  of  the  discourse,  one  of  them 
arose,  and  taking  up  the  theme  of  the  day,  commenced  a  vio- 
lent harangue.  In  answer,  the  missionary  stated  that  he  would 
willingly  enter  into  a  discussion  with  him  on  any  day  that 
might  be  appointed,  with  the  exception  of  Sunday.  But  the 
people  would  not  hear  of  such  a  thing  as  putting  it  off  to  an- 
other time,  and  filled  the  air  with  their  outcries.  "This  is 
my  private  house,"  said  Dr.  King,  "and  I  do  not  wish  this 
uproar ;  but  furthermore  it  is  the  Consulate  of  the  United 
States,  and  I  -will  not  have  it."  "  We  know  it  is  the  Consul- 
ate of  the  United  States,  but  we  mean  to  have  the  discussion 
now,"  cried  the  mob,  in  reply.  They  went  so  far  as  to  threat- 
en the  servants  for  interfering,  and  turned  some  of  the  family 
quite  out  of  the  room.  It  so  happened,  by  a  singular  coinci- 
dence, that  Dr.  King  had  only  the  day  previous  received  from 
Washington  a  tin  box  containing  an  American  flag,  sent  un- 
der seal  of  the  Department  of  State.  A  happy  thouglit  struck 
him.  With  the  assistance  of  his  old  man-servant,  Barha  Con- 
stantine,  he  hoisted  the  flag  on  one  of  the  columns  of  the 
porch.  The  wind  filled  its  ample  folds,  and  displayed  every 
star  and  stripe  to  the  wondering  gaze  of  the  crowd  below. 
Instantly  the  tumult  of  voices  was  stilled.  They  had  dared 
to  insult  the  consul  of  the  United  States,  but  they  were  afraid 
of  his  flag.  No  sooner  did  they  catch  a  glimpse  of  it,  than 
the  chief  aim  of  each  seemed  to  be  to  reach  the  gate  before 
the  others.  In  half  a  minute  not  a  man  of  them  was  to  be 
seen  upon  the  premises. 

This  part  of  Athens  is  the  old  town,  if  that  appellation  can 
be  given  to  the  portion  which  is  only  a  quarter  of  a  century 
old.     Looking  from  my  window,  I  have  the  northeastern  cor- 


24  FIRST    IMPRESSIONS. 

ner  of  the  Acropolis  before  me  at  the  distance  of  a  few  hun- 
dred feet,  crowned  by  the  old  Turkish  and  Frank  walls  which 
tower  far  above.  On  this  side  their  base  can  scarcely  be 
reached,  by  reason  of  the  steep  ledges  of  rock  that  occupy 
most  of  the  acclivity.  In  one  or  two  places,  however,  a  slope 
of  grass  sti'etches  up  to  the  very  foot  of  the  wall,  Avhich,  on 
account  of  this  facility  of  approach,  has  been  built  stronger 
and  higher.  Wlierever  a  patch  of  grass  exists,  flocks  of  goats 
and  black  sheep  are  to  be  seen  clambering  over  the  rocks  and 
browsing  on  points  apparently  the  most  inaccessible.  From 
the  veranda  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  house  the  eye  glances 
over  a  collection  of  houses  standing  in  a  slight  depression. 
Beyond  the  more  remote  of  these,  the  little  white  chapel  of  St. 
George,  on  the  summit  of  JMount  Lycabettus,  just  appears. 
The  trees  that  are  scattered  about  stand  in  gardens ;  for  there 
are  not  a  dozen  in  the  streets  of  the  old  town.  All  of  them 
look  strange  to  an  American.  The  cypress  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  striking.  Its  spire-like  form,  so  regular  and  tapering,  is 
associated  in  the  traveler's  mind  with  Eastern  cemeteries ;  but 
here  it  is  also  a  favorite  in  the  vicinity  of  houses.  We  have 
one  near  us  which  waves  most  gracefully,  and  creaks  most  lu- 
gubriously at  the  lightest  breeze.  In  an  adjoining  inclosure 
there  is  a  fine  old  laurel  which  has  attained  a  size  rare  in 
Western  Europe,  and  a  mulberry-tree  of  only  twenty  years' 
growth  overshadows  nearly  the  whole  garden.  The  greatest 
curiosity  of  this  kind  in  Athens  is  the  palm-tree  that  stands 
in  the  "  Hodos  Hermou,"  very  near  the  western  entrance, 
where  it  constitutes  one  of  the  first  objects  that  greet  the 
stranger's  eye.  It  is  a  date-palm,  introduced,  doubtless,  by 
the  Turks,  but  in  too  high  a  latitude  to  yield  fruit. 

My  anxiety  for  letters  led  me  first  to  the  post-office,  where, 
as  the  French  mail  had  been  distributed,  I  hoped  to  find  a 
package  of  them  from  America.  But  I  was  disappointed,  not 
having  made  due  allowance  for  the  increased  time  demanded 
for  communication.  A  month  is  the  average  time  a  letter 
takes  in  coming  from  New  York  to  Athens ;  though  I  remem- 
ber once  to  have  opened  one  precisely  three  weeks  after  date. 
The  post-office  is  a  low  wooden  house  with  a  rickety  portico. 
All  the  business  of  the  establishment  is  transacted  by  half  a 


TlIK    MAKKET-PLACE.  25 

dozen  clerks.  Like  the  employe's  of  some  olhei'  post-offifc  de- 
partments, they  are  not  above  the  suspicion  of  occasionally 
violating  the  sacredness  of  epistolary  correspondence.  And 
whenever  trouble  of  any  kind  is  brewing,  the  Government  fre- 
quently finds  it  very  convenient  to  ignore  that  provision  of  the 
constitution  which  forbids  all  tampering  with  the  mails. 

From  the  post-office  I  strolled  through  the  market-place — 
the  ago7'a  or  bazari,  as  it  is  indifferently  called.  On  the  way 
thither  I  walked  by  the  common  prison,  a  one-story  building 
without  a  window  opening  on  the  street.  But  through  the 
grated  door  I  saw  a  crowd  of  miserable  looking  creatures, 
wandering  aimlessly  about  an  open  space.  A  motley  crew 
they  were.  Men  and  women  and  children,  the  condemned 
and  the  accused  as  yet  untried,  the  petty  thief  and  the  mur- 
derer, the  hardened  villain  and  the  neophyte  in  vice,  all  hud- 
dled together  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  a 
court  fifty  feet  square.  The  building  was  erected  years  ago, 
and  used  to  serve  as  a  Medrese  or  school ;  it  still  bears  that 
Turkish  appellation.  But  I  doubt  if  the  instruction  once 
given  in  letters  was  half  so  complete  as  the  lessons  of  crime 
and  wickedness  imbibed  by  those  who  are  confined  for  a  fort- 
night within  its  walls. 

The  market-place  was  nearly  empty  of  purchasers,  albeit  the 
traders  still  sat  cros.s-legged  in  their  booths,  which  nestle  about 
the  old  gray  walls  of  Hadrian's  porticoes.  Though  now  near 
the  end  of  September,  the  sun  continues  to  pour  down  his  rays 
with  scorching  power,  and  the  air  is  insufferably  hot,  even  in 
the  shade.  Eveiy  body  keeps  to  the  house  during  five  or  six 
hours  of  the  day ;  and  at  noon  the  streets  are  almost  as  de- 
serted as  at  night.  Strangers  are  warned  by  residents  not  to 
deviate  from  this  practice,  unless  they  are  willing  to  pay  for 
the  imprudence  by  a  dangerous  and  often  fatal  disease.  An 
hour  or  two  of  exposure  in  the  sun  is  pretty  sure  to  bring  on 
an  attack  of  the  Greek  fever,  which  is  the  curse  of  Athens  at 
the  present  day.  Although  late  in  the  season,  fruits  of  every 
sort  are  yet  in  their  prime.  Those  that  belong  to  southern 
climates  peculiarly  are  to  be  found  here  in  the  greatest  profu- 
sion, and  at  what  would  seem  to  us  a  ridiculously  small  price. 
On  the  other  hand,  apples  are  a  raritv.  ;ind  those  for  pale  are 

B 


26  l-'IRST    IJIPKESSIONS. 

small  and  inferior ;  nor  will  the  peaches  compare  with  those 
of  our  American  orchards.  But  the  apricots,  pomegranates, 
and  melons  of  all  kinds  are  excellent.  The  francosyca  are  a 
puzzle  to  the  stranger  till  he  recognizes  them  as  the  fruit  of 
the  common  prickly-pear,  whose  curiously-jointed  stems  grow 
here  to  an  astonishing  size.  The  Greeks  I  meet  will  not  credit 
my  assertion  that  this  plant  is  a  native  of  the  American  con- 
tinent originally,  for  they  say  that  it  grows  wild  in  the  re- 
motest parts  of  Mani.  The  Greek  gi'apes  are  decidedly  the 
best  I  have  ever  tasted.  The  choicest  Fontainebleau  or  Muscat 
can  not  approach  the  luscious  flavor  of  the  Smyrniote.  Some 
of  these  varieties  resemble  the  Malaga  grapes  of  our  shops. 
Another  species,  from  Tenos  I  believe,  is  peculiar,  the  fruit 
not  showing  a  vestige  of  a  seed  within.  It  is  very  sweet,  and 
smaller  than  the  rest.  There  is  a  large  black  grape,  one  of 
which  from  curiosity  I  measured,  and  found  it  over  four  inch- 
es in  circumference.  The  produce  of  the  vineyards  around 
Athens,  though  not  of  such  choice  kinds,  is  excellent  and 
plentiful.  An  oke  (nearly  three  pounds)  of  the  black  grape,  is 
sold  for  a  copper  coin  answering  to  one  cent  and  two-thirds 
of  the  American  currency,  and  the  price  of  the  white  is  but 
just  double.  As  the  vintage  has  been  in  progress  for  some 
time,  the  must,  or  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape,  can  be  pro- 
cured. It  enters  into  the  composition  of  a  number  of  national 
dishes.  Mixed  with  flour  it  forms  the  rmCstalevria,  a  refresh- 
ing food  of  about  the  consistency  of  the  "  apple-butter"  of  our 
Western  States,  which  it  resembles  in  color  also.  In  its  per- 
fection the  mustalevria  has  a  sprinkling  of  almonds,  and  is  or- 
namented with  the  red  pomegranate  seeds.  It  is  also  dried  in 
sticks  that  are  as  hard  as  stone. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  narrow  alley  that  runs  along  one 
side  of  the  Consulate,  lives  Sir  Richard  Church,  whose  acquaint- 
ance I  had  the  pleasure  of  making  on  the  third  day  after  my 
arrival.  Upon  introduction  he  adverted  at  once  to  the  friend- 
ship he  had  formed  five  years  before  with  my  father,  and  asked 
what  news  I  brought  with  me  from  America,  a  country  in 
which  he  takes  a  lively  interest.  Conversation  naturally 
turned  on  the  thrilling  scenes  in  which  General  Church  him- 
self had  been  an  actor,  and  the  combats  of  the  patriots  whom 


GENERAL    CHURCH.  27 

he  had  come  from  England  to  head.  He  expressed  his  regret 
at  the  fact  that  Greece  has  to  so  great  an  extent  failed  to  an- 
swer the  expectations,  perhaps  too  sanguine,  of  her  well-wish- 
ers. This  failure  he  attributed,  not  to  the  people  themselves, 
but  to  the  weak  and  injudicious  government  under  which  they 
live.  A  government  that  squanders  on  frivolous  objects  the 
revenue  which  should  be  expended  on  the  improvement  of  the 
roads  and  the  education  of  the  masses,  can  not  merit  the  es- 
teem and  aifection  of  those  who  are  true  friends  of  the  nation- 
al welfare.  The  expenditures,  he  informed  me,  exceed  the 
revenue  by  several  million  drachms  annually ;  and  this  deficit 
is  every  year  helping  to  swell  the  public  debt. 

General  Church  is  at  present  one  of  the  most  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  opposition.  He  is  regarded  by  King  Otho,  it  is  to  be 
presumed,  with  the  personal  dislike  which  that  monarch  contin- 
ues to  cherish  toward  all,  without  exception,  who  took  an  act- 
ive part  in  the  formation  of  the  Constitution  of  1843.  Cal- 
lerges,  who  was  its  prime-mover,  and  who  sat  upon  one  of  the 
cannon  that  were  pointed  at  the  palace,  ready  to  be  fired  in 
case  the  king  should  refuse  to  ratify  that  document,  was  at 
first  treated  with  marks  of  the  highest  favor.  But  when  the 
storm  was  past,  the  first  opportunity  was  seized  to  send  him 
away  from  the  royal  presence,  in  a  sort  of  banishment,  to  Ar- 
gos.  General  Church,  who  occupied  a  high  post  in  the  army, 
resigned  in  consequence  of  some  slight  shown  him  by  the  min- 
istry, and  the  latter  were  only  too  glad  to  rid  themselves  of  a 
man  too  upright  and  inflexible  for  the  doing  of  their  behests. 
He  retains  a  seat  for  life  in  the  Greek  senate,  where,  rather 
by  his  private  influence  and  his  vote  than  by  public  speeches, 
he  seeks  to  promote  pure  and  patriotic  legislation.  Unfortu- 
nately the  country  needs  something  more  than  good  laws — it 
needs  their  faithful  execution. 

General  Church  expressed  the  lively  interest  he  had  taken  in 
reading  the  newspaper  accounts  of  the  brilliant  engagements  of 
our  Mexican  campaigns.  He  spoke  with  the  warmest  admira- 
tion of  the  conduct  of  the  war  by  Generals  Scott  and  Taylor, 
and  made  particular  inquiries  whether  any  reliable  history  of 
the  whole  conflict  had  recently  appeared  in  the  United  States. 
Few  men  living,  probably,  have  had  a  better  opportunity  to 


28  FIRST    IMI'KESSIONS. 

become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  Greek 
revolution.  I  was  pleased  to  learn  from  his  own  lips  that  he 
had  collected  all  the  materials  for  such  a  record  of  it  as  the 
world  demands,  and  that  he  himself  either  had  commenced,  or 
intended  soon  to  commence  reducing  them  to  the  shape  of  a 
systematic  narrative.  Sir  Richard's  previous  career  in  Italy 
and  elsewhei'e,  during  which  he  earned  in  the  British  service 
his  present  rank  of  Lieutenant  General,  was  varied  and  thrill- 
ing. I  had  subsequently  the  pleasure  of  perusing  a  manuscript 
account  of  some  of  his  adventures  in  ridding  the  kingdom  of 
Naples  of  the  banditti  who  infested  it.  They  were  so  full  of 
romantic  interest,  that  I  regretted  the  limitation  of  a  perusal 
of  them  to  a  very  small  circle  of  friends.  Were  it  proper,  I 
would  gladly  transcribe  one  or  two  of  them  upon  these  pages. 

Among  the  most  distinguished  English  residents  in  Athens 
there  was  none  I  more  desired  to  see  than  ]VIr.  George  Finlay, 
the  historian.  He  had  been  upon  a  visit  to  his  native  land, 
from  which  he  returned  not  long  after  I  reached  Greece,  One 
day  Dr.  King  proposed  a  call  upon  him.  His  name  was  al- 
ready familiar  to  me  from  the  various  works  he  has  recently 
published  on  the  modern  history  of  Greece,  as  well  as  from 
his  connection  with  the  recent  difficulties  between  the  Greek 
and  English  governments.  The  most  eligible  spot  in  the  city 
was  chosen  for  the  site  of  the  king's  palace,  and  some  lands 
of  Mr.  Finlay  were  among  those  that  were  absorbed  by  the 
garden  attached  to  it.  But  the  ministry  refused  to  make  to 
the  owners  any  adequate  indemnification  for  the  loss  of  the 
ground  they  had  appropriated.  Mr.  Finlay  having  little  faith 
in  the  power  or  inclination  of  the  law-courts  to  grant  him  re- 
dress, appealed  to  his  own  government,  who  enforced  his  claims 
by  a  powerful  fleet  which  for  one  hundred  days  blockaded  the 
ports  of  Greece. 

We  entered  Mr.  Finlay's  house,  situated  in  the  old  quarter 
of  the  city,  through  a  garden  well  stocked  with  flowers,  and 
were  received  in  his  study.  The  walls,  besides  being  stored 
with  perhaps  the  choicest  private  library  in  the  capital,  were 
further  ornamented  with  a  valuable  collection  'of  antiquities 
found  in  this  country,  and  a  candelabrum  and  a  curious  bra- 
zen mirror  graced  the  mantle.     Mr.  Finlay  is  a  tall  and  some- 


AMERICAN    MISSIONARIES.  2D^ 

•what  slender  man,  about  fifty  years  of  age.  His  face  is  one 
of  those  Avhich  inspire  confidence  and  respect,  and  his  eye  is 
bright  and  intellectual.  I  have  seldom  met  one  whose  con- 
versation is  more  entertaining.  No  subject  can  be  started 
■with  which  he  does  not  seem  perfectly  familiar,  and,  where 
you  least  expect  it,  he  is  able  to  rectify  your  misapprehen- 
sions, or  unravel  what  before  seemed  an  enigma.  History, 
however,  is  his  favorite  topic.  With  the  Mediajval  history  of 
Greece  no  man  living  is  better  acquainted ;  and  few,  besides 
the  Frenchman  Buchon,  have  made  it  so  careful  a  study.  Mr. 
Finlay  told  me  that  he  was  still  engaged  upon  his  work,  which 
is  to  contain  in  four  independent  volumes  the  vicissitudes  of 
Greece,  from  the  fall  of  Corinth  to  the  conquest  by  the  Turks. 
This  is  a  portion  of  history  which  should  have  been  treated 
by  Gibbon,  but  to  which  that  writer  never  deigned  to  devote 
more  than  a  stray  paragraph.  Those  who  have  read  Mr.  Fin- 
lay's  able  productions  must,  I  think,  acquiesce  in  the  greater 
number  of  his  conclusions.  On  the  great  controverted  point 
of  the  origin  of  the  modern  Greeks,  he  adopts  a  middle  course 
between  those  who  declare  them  of  Sclavonic  ancestry,  and 
those  who  afiinn  them  to  be  scions  of  the  noble  stock  of  the 
Hellenes.  As  a  natural  consequence,  he  displeases  the  advo- 
cates of  both  theories.  I  only  regret  that,  in  delineating  the 
mutations  of  the  Greeks  under  the  Frank  domination,  he  has 
chosen  to  look  at  them  from  the  foreign  rather  than  the  na- 
tive point  of  view,  and  given  us  the  chronicles  of  the  conquer- 
ors instead  of  those  of  the  vanquished. 

To  my  countrymen,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hill  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  INIission,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Arnold  and  Buel  of 
the  Baptist  Mission,  I  shall  have  opportunity  to  refer  in  an- 
other connection.  The  kindly  offices  of  these  gentlemen  con- 
tributed essentially  to  the  attainment  of  the  ends  for  which  I 
visited  Greece.  Of  the  more  private  evidences  of  friendship 
received  by  me,  in  common  with  so  many  wayfarers,  at  their 
hospitable  homes,  I  can,  of  course,  make  no  adequate  mention 
in  these  pages. 


THE  PROPYL jEA. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  ACKOPOLIS. 

Much  as  I  desired  to  see  the  Acropolis  and  its  classic  con- 
tents, I  was  obliged  to  defer  my  first  visit  until  late  in  the  aft- 
ernoon. The  hill  was  already  casting  its  long  shadows  over 
the  eastern  quarter  of  the  town  when,  Avith  a  party  of  friends, 
I  sallied  forth.  The  heat  was  yet  oppressive,  and  many  of 
those  whom  we  met  were,  like  ourselves,  provided  with  white 
cotton  umbrellas,  and  wore  white  shoes,  so  pleasant  for  the 
feet  in  this  sultry  season.  Two  or  three  steep  lanes,  inter- 
rupted by  an  occasional  stairway,  led  us  to  the  clear  ground 
at  the  foot  of  the  Acropolis ;  but  without  a  guide  we  would 
indubitably  have  lost  our  way,  and  come  to  a  stand  in  some 
filthy  coui't.  It  is  a  consolation  to  know  that,  if  modern  Ath- 
ens can  boast  of  an  intricate  maze  of  streets,  ancient  Athens 
would  seem  to  have  been  but  little  better  off  in  this  respect. 
The  father  of  Greek  verse  must  have  used  some  poetic  license 
when  he  spoke  of  the  wide  streets  of  Athens.     For  a  writer, 


WALLS    OF    AI.l.    AGF>.  ^31 

who  flourished  some  three  centuries  before  the  Christian  era, 
and  had  traveled  in  foreign  parts,  expresses  his  regret  at  their 
narrowness  and  irregularity.  He  contrasts  the  capital  with 
its  port,  Piraeus,  and  states  that  the  former  was  badly  laid  out 
as  to  its  streets  and  squares,  on  account  of  its  antiquity.  ''If 
a  stranger,"  adds  he,  "  were  to  be  suddenly  set  down  in  the 
midst  of  the  town,  so  small,  inconvenient,  and  ill-situated  are 
the  houses,  that  he  would  doubt  whether  he  were  actually  in 
famous  Athens.  But  of  this  he  would  be  speedily  convinced, 
if,  looking  up  in  some  more  open  spot,  he  should  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  Odeum,  the  most  handsome  in  the  world ;  the 
theatre,  magnificent,  great,  and  wonderful ;  the  sumptuous, 
conspicuous,  and  admirable  temple  of  Minerva,  called  the  Par- 
thenon, rising  aloft,  and  striking  the  beholder  with  admira- 
tion."* 

We,  however,  had  reached  a  point  whence  wc  could  survey 
the  whole  city,  while  we  obtained  a  good  xiew  of  the  Acrop- 
olis itself  It  is  an  oblong  height,  perhaps  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  in  circuit  at  the  base,  with  a  barrier  of  steep  rocks  rising 
on  every  side  to  prevent  the  approach  of  invaders.  Above 
these  tower  the  grim  old  walls,  to  whose  foot,  even,  it  is  in 
most  places  all  but  impossible  to  ascend.  On  this  side  they 
are  said  to  have  been  raised  by  the  Pelasgians,  when  the  Athe- 
nian state  was  yet  in  its  infancy ;  but  these  original  works 
have  probably  been  destroyed  to  the  very  foundation.  Much 
of  those  which  now  exist,  were  built  by  the  Athenians  when 
they  regained  their  city  after  the  retreat  of  Xerxes.  In  such 
haste  were  the  citizens  to  restore  the  crumbling  fortress,  that 
they  are  said  to  have  seized  whatever  first  came  to  hand,  and 
converted  it  to  use.  It  is  interesting  to  notice,  to  this  very 
day,  stones  e\"idently  drawn  from  some  more  ancient,  and  per- 
haps ruined  edifice,  deeply  imbedded  in  the  midst  of  other  ma- 
sonry. At  one  place  there  is  a  conspicuous  row  of  drums  of 
marble  columns,  which  probably  belonged  to  the  old  Parthenon, 
a  temple  burned  by  the  Persians  when  they  ravaged  Attica 
with  fire  and  sword.  The  rest  of  the  wall  is  a  singular  med- 
ley of  works  of  every  age.  Here  a  bit  of  Roman  brick-work, 
there  a  Frankish  bastion  or  Turkish  parapet,  all  mixed  in  in- 
*   DicfEarchus  Vit.  iircec.  p.  8. 


32  THE    ACKOJeoLlS. 

extricable  confusion.  Every  conqueror  has  left  some  traces 
of  his  power,  while  Time,  the  greatest  conqueror  of  all,  has 
been  undoing  their  boasted  work. 

But  we  must  now  approach  the  entrance,  and  to  reach  it  we 
were  obliged  to  make  half  the  circuit  of  the  hill.  On  the  way 
we  passed  a  small  portal,  in  what  was  once  a  Turkish  defence. 
One  jamb  was  formed  of  an  old  marble  slab  that  had  once 
graced  some  sacred  inclosure,  as  the  following  imprecation 
against  all  sacrilegious  trespassers  indicates.  The  similarity 
it  bears  to  those  curses  which  the  monks  of  the  Middle  Ages 
used  to  insert  on  the  fly-leaves  of  their  books,  is  striking,  to 
.say  the  least. 

"  I  intrust  the  guardianship  of  this  Chapel  to  the  Infernal 
Gods,  to  Pluto,  and  to  Ceres,  and  to  Proserpine,  and  to  the 
Furies,  and  to  all  the  Infernal  Gods.  If  any  one  shall  deface 
this  Chapel,  or  mutilate  it,  or  remove  any  thing  from  it,  either 
himself  or  by  means  of  another,  to  him  may  not  the  land  be 
passable,  nor  the  sea  navigable,  but  may  he  be  utterly  uproot- 
ed. May  he  experience  all  evils,  fever  and  ague,  and  quartan 
ague,  and  leprosy.  And  as  many  ills  as  man  is  liable  to,  may 
they  befall  that  man  who  dares  to  move  any  thing  from  this 
Chapel." 

We  reached  the  entrance  of  the  Acropolis  at  the  western 
end,  where  it  connects  with  the  lower  height  of  the  Areopa- 
gus, or  Hill  of  Mars,  the  scene  of  St.  Paul's  masterly  defence. 
Here  the  slope  was  originally  more  gradual,  and  offered  the 
easiest,  or,  in  fact,  the  only  approach.  Formerly  there  stood 
here  a  splendid  gateway,  strongly  defended  by  walls  and  over- 
looking towers  on  either  side,  and  a  broad  flight  of  steps  led 
directly  up  behind  it.  More  recently  this  Avas  found  too  dif- 
ficult to  protect,  and  now  the  visitor  passes  through  no  fewer 
than  three  portals  before  he  can  say  that  he  is  fairly  within. 
Over  the  outermost  of  these  a  Turkish  inscription  is  to  be  seen. 
I  understand  that  its  import  is  the  boast  that  the  Christian 
giaour  shall  never  again  hold  possession  of  this  citadel.  If  so, 
it  stands  there  a  sufficient  refutation  of  its  own  falsehood.  I 
was  unable  to  vouch  for  the  correctness  of  the  interpretation ; 
and  having  no  Turkish  dragoman  at  hand,  we  went  on  to  the 
second  gate,  which  was  closed.     A  loud  rap  brouglit  to  the 


PAKATUENAIC    PKOCESSION.  33 

door  a  soldiei'  dressed  in  rather  rusty  European  uniform,  Avho, 
on  our  presenting  a  printed  permit  good  for  the  whole  season, 
opened  the  gate,  and  admitted  us  into  a  small  court.  Here 
was  a  lodge,  before  which  half  a  dozen  guards  were  lounging 
and  smoking  their  chebouks.  A  classic  air  Avas  given  to  their 
abode  by  a  promiscuous  collection  of  fragments  of  statuary ; 
Avhile  a  number  of  marble  cannon-balls,  made  during  the  re- 
cent wars  out  of  the  pillars  of  the  Parthenon  or  Propylsea,  lay 
scattered  about.  Some  were  evidently  intended  for  guns  of 
large  calibre. 

One  of  the  guards  now  opened  a  third  gate,  and  passing 
through  we  found  ourselves  at  the  base  of  an  acclivity,  above 
which  rose  the  Propylasa.  A  series  of  marble  steps,  some  of 
which  were  discovered  beneath  the  rubbish  of  a  Turkish  bat- 
tery that  formerly  encumbered  the  spot,  and  others  in  their 
original  places,  have  been  partially  restoi-ed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Archajological  Society.  The  centre  is  paved  with 
large  slabs  of  stone,  and  served  in  old  times  as  a  carriage-way. 
The  pavement  was  grooved  to  give  a  foothold  to  the  yoke  of 
oxen  that  annually  drew  the  car  of  Minerva  up  to  the  temple 
of  the  goddess.  In  these  Panathenaic  festivals  a  vast  con- 
course of  people  were  accustomed  to  attend  the  solemn  con- 
voy, the  men  carrying  oiFerings,  or  baskets  containing  the  sa- 
cred utensils,  the  women  shouldering  jars  of  pure  water,  while 
comely  virgins  brought  the  most  pleasant  flowers  to  bedeck 
the  virgin  goddess,  and  form  a  fragrant  bed  around  her  statue. 
Most  conspicuous  in  the  throng  was  said  to  be  the  new  j^qjlus 
with  which  the  figure  of  JNIinerva  was  to  be  clothed  or  screen- 
ed. It  was  a  magnificent  robe  woven  by  the  maidens  of  the 
noblest  families,  who  disputed  the  right  of  having  a  part  in 
the  honorable  task.  The  conflicts  of  Minerva  with  the  giants 
were  the  subject  of  the  embroidery,  which  was  fastened,  as  a 
sort  of  sail,  to  the  mast  of  a  boat  laid  upon  the  sacred  car. 

We  stood  upon  the  threshold  of  the  wonderful  inclosure, 
with  somewhat  of  the  same  awe  and  reverence  that  inspired 
the  ancient  pilgrim  as  he  entered  the  precincts  of  the  gorgeous 
temple.  If  he  was  filled  with  superstitious  dread  of  the  au- 
gust deities  whom  he  imagined  the  tenants  of  the  spacious 
labric,  we  were  overwhelmed  with  wonder  and  admiration  of 

B2 


34  THE    AOKOPOLIS. 

the  genius  that  planned  the  graceful  architecture,  and  the  lib- 
eral statesman  who  shrank  from  no  expense  to  decorate  his 
native  city  and  render  it  the  gem  of  Greece.  The  Projujkva, 
which  we  had  now  reached,  was  a  fit  introduction  to  the  host 
of  temples,  statues,  and  altars  within.  Less  famous  now  than 
in  former  times,  it  was  placed  by  the  ancients  on  a  level  with 
the  Parthenon,  so  far  as  beauty  of  design  and  exquisite  finish 
were  concerned.  While  yet  entire,  it  stood  directly  in  view 
of  the  people  assembled  for  deliberation  on  the  Pnyx ;  and 
Demosthenes  and  ^schines  often  took  occasion,  from  the  sight 
of  its  magnificence,  to  exhort  a  declining  age  to  emulate  the 
glory  and  renown  of  their  forefathers.  It  is  said  that  Epami- 
nondas  was  heard  to  exclaim,  that  he  would  never  rest  satis- 
fied until  he  had  transported  the  Propylasa,  and  set  it  down 
at  the  entrance  of  the  Cadmean  hill  in  Thebes. 

The  object  of  the  edifice  seems  to  have  been  two-fold.  It 
was  designed  to  be  oniamental,  and  at  the  same  time  a  strong 
military  fortification,  commanding  the  sole  access  to  the  cita- 
del. The  combination  was  difficult,  but  seems  to  have  been 
admirably  attained.  Let  me  attempt  to  give  ah  idea  of  the 
arrangement.  The  main  structure  consists  of  a  massive  mar- 
ble wall  pierced  by  five  portals,  of  which  the  central  one  is 
much  the  largest.  With  its  bronze  gates,  it  might  easily  with- 
stand the  assaults  of  the  enemy  who  should  succeed  in  bursting 
through  the  lower  walls,  Avhile  exposed  to  the  galling  arrows 
of  the  troops  from  the  heights  on  either  side  of  the  ascent, 
which  afforded  them  every  advantage  of  situation.  This  is 
the  defensive  part.  The  ornamental  consists  of  wide  por- 
ticoes on  either  front.  That  which  faces  the  steps  is  the 
deeper.  It  is,  I  think,  a  circumstance  worthy  of  note,  that 
wherever  it  was  desirable,  as  in  the  present  case,  to  impress 
the  beholder  with  a  sense  of  awe  and  reverence,  the  Doric 
style  of  architecture  was  uniformly  resorted  to  by  the  ancients. 
Its  massive  proportions,  the  simplicity  of  its  outlines,  and  the 
stern  baldness  of  its  capitals,  seem  to  be  the  natural  expression 
of  majesty  and  inflexible  severity.  It  symbolizes  reverence 
without  affection.  Accordingly  the  stately  front  of  the  Pro- 
pyl^a  was  composed  of  six  stout  Doric  columns,  each  four  feet 
and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  twenty-nine  feet  high.     They  have 


ANCIENT   GALLERIES    Ol'^    PAINTING.  35 

been  sadly  ill-used  by  fathei*  Time,  who  lias  spared  little  more 
than  half  their  height.  Behind  this  line,  and  before  reaching 
the  Avail,  is  a  space  of  forty  feet  and  more,  the  roof  of  which 
was  once  supported  by  six  Ionic  columns.  The  reason  for 
the  adoption  of  another  order  here,  was  that  the  slender  pro- 
portions of  its  pillars  obstructed  the  view  much  less,  and  ena- 
bled the  eye  to  gaze  more  freely  on  a  ceiling  adorned  with 
sunken  panels,  all  variegated  Avith  the  most  brilliant  coloring. 

The  front  vestibule  of  the  Propyhea  has  been  converted,  for 
lack  of  some  more  convenient  receptacle,  into  a  sort  of  muse- 
um of  antiquities.  All  the  broken  heads,  fractured  legs,  mu- 
tilated arms,  and  fragmentary  hands,  dug  up  in  every  quarter 
of  the  Acropolis,  are  ranged  on  benches  upon  the  strictest  an- 
atomical principles.  This  classification  has  at  least  the  merit 
of  enabling  the  visitor  to  gain  a  pretty  complete  acquaintance 
with  the  whole  collection.  My  own  attention  was  specially 
drawn  to  one  or  two  large  heads,  in  which  the  eye  had  been 
excavated,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  filling  the  cavity  with 
an  eyeball  of  ivory,  or  some  precious  metal.  We  turned  from 
the  main  building  to  our  left,  and  entered  a  wing  of  the  Pro- 
pylfea,  a  square  chamber  with  a  narrow  colonnade  before  it. 
This  served  in  ancient  times  as  a  ]iicture-ga\\erj,  ov pinacotheke. 
True,  it  is  difficult  to  suppose  that  many  paintuigs  could  have 
been  contained  within  the  limits  of  a  room  about  thirty  feet 
square ;  but  the  merit  of  the  pictures  probably  made  up  for 
their  fewness.  And  if  the  space  here  allowed  was  but  small, 
there  were  certainly  much  larger  collections  in  the  lower  city, 
where  they  adorned  the  inner  walls  of  the  long  porticoes  with 
which  the  city  abounded.  It  was  doubtless  the  ambition  of 
the  young  painter  to  hang  his  first  production  in  some  such 
public  place,  where  the  philosophers,  as  they  walked  to  and 
fro,  and  the  tradesmen,  hurrying  toward  their  shops,  might 
pause  a  moment  to  admire  its  execution,  and  inquire  the  art- 
ist's name.  The  Battle  of  Marathon  seems  to  have  been  a  fa- 
vorite subject  at  Athens,  just  as  the  brilliant  victories  of  Na- 
poleon abound  in  the  galleries  of  Versailles,  where  you  look 
in  vain  for  any  representation  of  Waterloo. 

We  crossed  next  to  the  right  side  of  the  entrance,  where  a 
smaller  wdng  of  the  same  building  is  for  the  most  part  con- 


y6  THE    ACKoPOUb. 

cealed  under  the  great  square  tower  that  occupies  so  promi- 
nent a  place  in  every  picture  of  the  Acropolis.  It  is  usually 
called  a  Turkish  tower ;  but  it  was  much  more  probably  built 
by  the  Christian  dukes  of  Athens  in  the  thirteenth  century. 
The  Vandalism  that  lias  busied  itself  for  the  past  thirty  years 
in  destroying  every  relic  of  the  mediaeval  history  of  the  coun- 
try, has  thus  far  spared  this  venerable  monument.  How  long 
it  Avill  be  permitted  to  stand  is  very  doubtful.  From  a  mis- 
taken pride,  the  modern  Greeks  have  thought  it  incumbent 
on  them  to  signalize  their  admiration  of  antiquity,  by  obliter- 
ating every  vestige  of  an  age  of  barbarism  and  subjection. 
How  different  was  the  policy  of  those  for  whom  they  affect  to 
entertain  sucli  enthusiastic  admiration !  Every  work  of  their 
uncultivated  forefathers  was  cherished  with  the  most  sedulous 
care ;  for  it  served  as  an  index  of  their  own  progress  in  the 
arts  of  life.  Even  the  traces  of  the  Persian  invasion  were 
gladly  preserved,  that  they  might  teach  posterity  the  authen- 
ticity of  achievements,  which  otherwise  would  have  appeared 
too  gigantic  to  be  worthy  of  credit.  The  more  powerful  they 
could  picture  the  Persian  host,  the  more  did  they  enhance  their 
own  prowess,  since  victory  had  crowned  them  in  the  unequal 
contest. 

As  I  have  said,  the  Propyljea  was,  until  recently,  encum- 
bered with  the  remains  of  a  dilapidated  Turkish  battery.  In 
removing  these  ruins,  a  number  of  columns  and  bas-reUefs 
were  discovered,  belonging  to  a  small  temple  of  the  Ionic  or- 
der. It  was  then  remembered  that  such  an  edifice  had  been 
described  by  travelers  of  the  seventeenth  century,  as  standing 
in  advance  of  the  Propylaea,  on  the  southwestern  corner  of  the 
wall.  The  exact  spot  was  easily  found  by  means  of  the  re- 
maining foundation.  In  1835  its  restoration  was  commenced; 
and  so  many  pieces  were  found  that  scarcely  a  stone  had  to 
be  supplied.  The  roof  only  is  wanting,  with  the^  greater 
part  of  the  continuous  frieze  that  ran  around  the  top  of  the 
building,  sculptured  with  figures  of  the  Persians.  This  was 
unfortunately  discovered  earlier,  and  shared  the  fate  of  Lord 
Elgin's  spoliations.  Though  but  twenty-seven  feet  long  by 
eighteen  broad,  the  temple  of  Victory  Jiad  a  double  front, 
adorned  with  four  Ionic  fluted  columns  executed  in  the  most 


1 


rK>rpi,K  OF  \'icTOKy. 


37 


TEMPLE   OF   VICTORY    WITHOUT   WINGS. 


finished  style.  It  was  Cimon  who  built  it,  in  commemora- 
tion of  glorious  defeats  inflicted  upon  the  Persians,  both  by 
land  and  by  sea.  But  the  jealous  eye  of  the  republican  Athe- 
nians would  not  suffer  him  to  indulge  in  private  ostentation ; 
and  prevented  him  from  recording  his  own  astonishing  suc- 
cesses on  the  dwelling-house  of  a  deity.  He  chose  for  its  dec- 
oration the  achievements  of  older  generals,  whose  merits  the 
populace  could  better  endure  to  hear  praised,  since  they  had 
gone  into  a  banishment  whence  no  popular  vote  could  recall 
them.  Cimon  dedicated  this  exquisite  little  temple  to  Victo- 
ry ;  but  fearing  lest  the  fickle  goddess  should  some  day  take  it 
into  her  head  to  desert  his  native  city,  he  robbed  her  of  her 
wings.  Perhaps  he  hoped  in  this  way  to  fix  her  irrevocably 
to  her  present  seat ;  but  succeeding  generations  discovered  to 
their  cost,  that  if  Victory  had  lost  the  power  of  soaring  away 
on  her  airy  pinions,  she  could,  in  a  more  prosaic  manner,  aban- 
don her  beautiful  niche,  and  give  them  leg-bail. 

We  paused  for  a  few  minutes  within  the  temple  of  Victo?y 
without  wings,  to  admire  the  few  sculptured  slabs  that  have 
been  collortod  there.     Thev  refer  mostiv  to  Victory,  and  oris;- 


,•58 


THE    ACROPOUS. 


inally  formed  a  parapet  around  the  platform  of  the  temple. 
One  was  so  exquisite  that  I  could  have  stopped  an  hour  be- 
fore it  without  weariness.  It  represents  the  goddess  just 
alighting  on  her  favorite  hill.  She  stoops  to  unbuckle  her 
sandal,  indicating  the  determination  here  to  cease  her  wander- 
ings and  take  up  a  perpetual  abode.  Nothing  can  be  more 
elegant  than  the  posture  and  the  finish  of  the  well-turned  an- 
kle. From  the  steps  of  the  temple  we  obtained  a  delightful 
view  of  the  sea,  on  the  very  spot  whence  -.S^geus  is  said  to 
have  precipitated  himself  upon  the  rocks  below,  when  he  saw 
the  black  sails  which  Theseus,  on  his  successful  return  from 
Crete,  had  forgotten  to  lower. 

But  we  were  impatient  to  visit  the  Parthenon,  the  grand 
object  of  attraction.  So  passing  once  more  through  the  por- 
tal of  the  Propylaea,  we  stood  in  the  presence  of  that  majestic 
pile,  which  for  beauty  of  proportion,  excellence  of  material, 
and  grace  of  ornament,  is  yet  proclaimed  by  all  who  can  ap- 
preciate the  arts  of  architecture  and  sculpture,  as  unequaled 
by  any  fabric  of  more  modern  date.  The  first  impression  upon 
the  mind  is  that  of  perfect  symmetry  and  grandeur.  Less  au- ' 
gust  than  when  the  dazzling  brilliancy  of  its  Pentelican  marble 
was  undimmed,  it  is  perhaps  more  picturesque  now.  Its  ruined 
pillars  and  tottering  architraves  are  now  laden  with  the  tra- 
ditionary interest  of  more  than  two  thousand  years.  It  is  not 
the  size  alone  that  strikes  the  fancy ;  for  the  Olympium  itself, 
though  much  larger,  has  never  attained  a  tithe  of  its  celebrity. 


THE  PAKTirENON. 


THE    PARTHENON-  i5l> 

The  summit  of  the  Acropolis  is  not  perfectly  level,  but  is 
shaped  into  a  number  of  distinct  platforms,  hewn  out  of  the 
solid  rock  when  Athens  was  confined  to  the  limits  of  this  hill. 
In  after  times  temples  took  the  place  of  dwelling-houses,  and 
the  inhabitants  were  compelled  to  descend  into  the  valley. 
The  entire  area  thus  cleared  is  one  thousand  feet  long  aiid 
five  hundred  feet  in  its  greatest  width,  containing  about  sev- 
en acres  of  ground.  The  greatest  length  is  precisely  east  and 
west. 

A  modern  architect,  perhaps,  would  have  placed  the  Par- 
thenon directly  in  front  of  the  entrance,  so  that  only  the  west- 
ern fa(;ade  might  be  seen,  thus  preserving  symmetry,  or,  rather, 
uniformity.  Without  doubt,  however,  the  site  was  purposely 
chosen  a  little  to  the  right  upon  the  highest  part  of  the  cita- 
del. This  gives  us  the  most  favorable  view  of  the  temple, 
whose  base  is  full  forty  feet  above  the  ground  on  which  we 
stand.  The  devotional  feelings  of  an  ancient  pilgrim  were 
deepened,  too,  as,  in  the  long  circuit  he  was  obliged  to  make 
in  order  to  reach  the  principal  entrance  at  the  opposite  end, 
his  eye  could  examine  in  detail  the  sculptured  works  upon  its 
sides,  products  of  the  chisel  of  Phidias  and  his  scholars. 

As  we  walked  up  toward  the  Parthenon  we  met  a  small 
man,  rather  beyond  the  prime  of  life,  who  was  introduced  as 
]\Ii'.  Pittakes,  the  Inspector  General  of  the  antiquities  within 
the  kingdom  of  Greece.  He  is  affable  in  conversation,  and 
wholly  absorbed  in  his  favorite  pursuit.  His  duty  it  is  to  see 
that  the  statuary  and  other  works  of  art,  discovered  from  year 
to  year,  are  not  carried  from  the  country  or  broken  up  for 
lime  by  the  ignorant  peasantry.  Of  all  the  Greeks  he  is 
doubtless  the  best  informed  as  to  the  topography  of  Athens, 
respecting  which  he  has  written  a  v/ork  of  considerable  merit. 
Notwithstanding  his  dry  manner  and  a  certain  nasal  indis- 
tinctness of  utterance,  there  was  no  one  whom  we  were  more 
delighted  to  meet. 

I  do  not  know  that  a  better  idea  of  the  Parthenon  can  be 
given,  than  by  saying  that  its  exterior  is  the  prototype  of  the 
Madeleine  at  Paris,  and  the  Bavarian  WalhaUa.  Around  the 
whole  body  of  the  edifice  runs  a  continuous  portico,  sustained 
by  seventeen  Doric  columns  on  either  side,  and  eight  in  each 


40  THE    ACROPOLIS. 

front.  The  vestibule  at  either  end  of  the  temple  was  deepen- 
ed by  the  addition  of  a  second  row  of  columns  to  support  the 
roof.  Such  Avas  the  condition  of  the  Parthenon  a  century  and 
a  half  ago.  Since  that  time  it  has  incurred  the  severest  losses. 
At  one  time  a  powder  magazine  was  recklessly  placed  within 
the  building  by  the  Turks.  During  the  bombardment  by  the 
Venetians  under  Francesco  Morosini,  in  1G87,  a  bomb  hap- 
pened to  fall  into  the  very  centre  of  the  temple,  and  a  fearful 
explosion  was  the  result.  A  great  part  of  the  lateral  walls 
was  overturned,  and  more  than  half  a  dozen  columns  on  either 
side  fell  prostrate  to  the  ground.  Fi'om  that  time  the  build- 
ing, which  at  one  period  had  served  as  a  church  dedicated  to 
the  Virgin,  was  almost  deserted.  During  an  attack  of  three 
days,  the  Venetians  did  more  damage  to  the  Parthenon  than  it 
had  sustained  since  the  year  of  its  erection.  They  consum- 
mated their  outrage  by  a  robbery  of  the  movable  statuary 
which  adorned  the  triangular  pediments  on  the  fronts.  It  is 
related  of  them,  that,  as  their  general  was  lowering  the  car 
and  horses  which  were  most  prominent  in  the  group,  the  ropes 
either  broke  or  slipped,  and  the  statues  were  shivered  into  a 
thousand  fragments  upon  the  pavement  below. 

The  interior  of  the  Parthenon  was  divided  into  two  unequal 
parts.  Kather  more  than  two-thirds  were  taken  up  with  the 
temple  proper,  while  the  remainder,  toward  the  west,  served 
as  the  treasuiy  of  the  state,  and  went  by  the  name  of  Opistho- 
domus.  The  great  statue  of  Minerva,  from  whom  the  temple 
obtained  its  name  of  Parthenon,  or  the  Virgin's  Home,  occupied 
the  centre,  and  drew  the  undivided  attention  of  every  visitor. 
It  was  the  master-piece  of  Phidias,  and  was  no  less  precious 
for  its  material  than  for  its  workmanship.  The  statue  was 
all  of  the  purest  gold,  except  the  face,  hands,  and  feet,  which 
were  curiously  wrought  of  ivory  brought  from  the  remote  and 
almost  unknown  depths  of  India.  It  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  a  work  of  such  intrinsic  value  should  escape  the  rapacity 
of  either  Romans  or  barbarians. 

We  know  comparatively  little  of  the  internal  arrangements 
of  the  Parthenon  ;  but  we  may  be  confident  that  they  were 
embellished  as  lavishly  as  the  exterior.  Indeed  the  prodigal 
expenditure  of  ornament  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  most 


FRIEZE    OF    THE    PAR'UiEKON. 


41 


FKIEZE  OF  TUE  PARTIIEKON. 


striking  peculiarities  of  this  temple.  Although  its  length  was 
only  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet,  yet  it  was  loaded 
with  a  profusion  of  sculpture  such  as  would  have  been  more 
than  sufficient,  according  to  the  rules  ordinarily  followed,  for 
an  edifice  of  thrice  that  size.  Not  only  were  all  the  metopes 
immediately  below  the  exterior  cornice  made  to  represent  the 
single  combats  of  centaurs  and  other  fabulous  monsters,  but 
an  uninterrupted  frieze  was  placed  on  the  walls  of  the  body, 
or  cella,  within  the  colonnade.  This  inimitable  work  of  art, 
when  entire,  was  no  less  than  five  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
long,  with  a  width  of  more  than  a  yard.  It  represented  in 
high  relief  the  yearly  procession  at  the  Panathenaic  festival. 
In  addition  to  these  decorations,  a  group  of  statues  filled  each 
of  the  pediments,  one  rej^resenting  the  birth  of  Minerva,  the 
other  her  contest  with  Neptune  for  the  possession  of  Attica. 
"WTiat  is  more  astonishing  than  even  the  quantity  of  statuary, 
is  its  quality.  Slabs  of  marble  intended  to  be  seen  at  the 
height  of  thirty  to  fifty  feet  above  the  spectator,  were  finished 
with  as  much  care  as  thougli  designed  for  a  close  inspection. 
Of  this  I  satisfied  myself,  not  only  from  the  pieces  collected 
below,  but  by  a  nearer  examination  of  those  which  remain  in 
their  places.  In  one  of  the  walls  of  the  Parthenon  we  found 
a  narrow  winding  staircase,  from  which  we  emerged  on  the 
top  of  the  front.  Probably  the  same  means  of  gaining  a  bet- 
ter view  of  the  statues  on  the  pediment  was  privately  afforded 
of  old  to  the  artist  and  the  more  curious  visitor. 


42  THE    ACROPOLIS. 

Mr.  Pittakes  took  us  up  to  the  eastern  end  of  the  edifice, 
and  pointed  out  some  excavations,  undertaken  within  a  few 
years,  with  the  view  of  examining  the  substructure.  The 
workmen  have  brought  to  light  what  a  spirited  writer  has 
called  the  imrh-shop  of  the  Parthenon.  Huge  heaps  of  chip- 
pings  from  the  marbles,  unfinished  drums  of  columns,  appar- 
ently abandoned  on  account  of  some  defect  in  the  stone,  are 
mingled  with  traces  of  works  made  by  all  the  nations  who 
have  ruled  here  in  succession.  Not  least  remarkable  was  the 
discovery  of  a  quantity  of  humt  wood  still  lower  down,  at  a 
depth  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  below  the  present  surface  of 
the  ground.  These  timbers,  from  their  position,  must  evi- 
•dently  have  been  older  than  the  erection  of  the  present  Par- 
thenon by  Pericles,  in  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  before 
Christ.  According  to  the  most  probable  hypothesis,  they  are 
traces  of  the  conflagration  kindled  by  Xerxes  when  the  old 
Ilecatompedon,  the  predecessor  of  the  Parthenon,  shared  the 
common  destruction  of  all  that  was  most  precious  in  Athens. 
Blocks  of  marble  belonging  to  the  same  structure  were  also 
found,  with  a  great  variety  of  antique  bronzes  and  vases. 

Architects  have  been  much  interested  of  late  in  the  results 
of  some  new  and  very  accurate  measurements  of  the  Parthe- 
non, which  have  revealed  a  number  of  startling  facts.  For 
instance,  it  has  been  found  that  of  the  apparently  straight 
lines,  few,  if  any,  are  strictly  such,  but,  in  reality,  describe 
curves  of  a  figure  that  may  be  calculated  with  the  utmost  pre- 
cision. Thus,  the  platform  and  steps  in  front  of  the  temple, 
though  to  all  appearance  perfectly  level,  have  been  shown  to 
be  three  or  four  inches  higher  toward  the  middle  than  at 
either  end.  And  as  each  side  is  similarly  shaped,  the  base  of 
the  Parthenon  slants  in  all  directions  toAvard  the  four  corners. 
The  same  holds  good,  in  some  measure,  with  all  the  other 
lines,  some  of  which  actually  curve  in  two  directions.  The 
columns,  too,  are  found  not  to  stand  perfectly  upright,  but  to 
slant  inwardly,  and  so  are  some  inches  longer  on  the  outer 
edge  than  on  the  inner.  Nor  do  they  taper  uniformly  toward 
the  summit,  but  bulge  out  a  little  at  the  middle.  Archaeolo- 
gists affirm  that  they  have  now  discovered  the  secret  of  the 
undoubted  superiority  of  all  the  ancient  temples  over  even 


THE    ERECHTHEUJI.  43 

tbeir  most  servile  imitations  in  modern  times.  If  such  care 
was  taken  in  the  construction  of  the  Parthenon  and  the  Pro- 
pyhta,  "we  can  no  longer  wonder  that  the  enormous  sum  of  a 
thousand  talents,  equivalent  to  $1,100,000,  should  have  been 
expended  upon  the  former  of  those  buildings  alone,  at  a  time 
when  that  sum  would  command  three  times  as  much  labor  as 
at  present. 

We  followed  Mr.  Pittakes  from  the  Parthenon  to  a  small 
ruinous  frame-house,  where,  under  lock  and  key,  are  pre- 
served a  number  of  antique  vases  and  other  remains.  But  in 
this  department  no  Grecian  collection  can  compare  with  the 
vast  assortment  of  the  British  and  Neapolitan  museums.  De- 
scending the  rotten  stairs,  I  picked  up  a  human  skull,  whicli* 
I  noticed  bleaching  in  the  sun  close  by :  whether  it  belonged 
to  some  gallant  defender  of  the  Acropolis,  or  to  a  Turkish  sol- 
dier, it  was  too  late  to  inquire.  The  guard  who  accompanied 
us,  and  whose  only  duty  was  to  see  that  we  took  away  none 
of  the  antiquities,  did  not  evince  much  surprise  or  feeling  for 
the  relic  of  one  who  may  have  been  a  former  comrade  in  arms. 
Instead  of  giving  it  Christian  burial,  he  threw  it  into  a  dai'k  cor- 
ner, and  it  rattled  down  into  a  hole,  where  it  doubtless  still  lies. 
So  much  for  the  remains  of  the  combatants  in  the  revolution. 

We  next  passed  to  the  only  other  remaining  group  of  ruins 
on  the  Acropolis,  the  cuxious  cluster  of  temples  that  stand 
near  the  northern  wall  overlooking  the  modern  town.  I  call 
it  a  cluster  of  temples,  for  the  Erechtheum  comprises  several 
sanctuaries  dedicated  to  various  gods  and  fabulous  personages. 


THE  EEECHTUErM. 


4t 


THE   ACROPOLIS. 


Its  singularly  irregular  shape  adds  propriety  to  the  expression, 
while  it  renders  description  the  more  difficult.  It  consists  of 
an  oblong  edifice,  which  formed  the  most  important  part,  and 
three  dissimilar  porches  covering  almost  as  much  more  ground. 
We  approached  it  from  the  east,  which,  as  in  the  case  of  all 
the  more  ancient  temples,  was  the  principal  front.  Passing 
through  a  portico  of  six  Ionic  columns,  we  jumped  down  some 
fight  or  ten  feet,  and  found  ourselves  in  the  sanctuary  of  Mi- 
nerva PoUas,  the  defender  of  the  city,  a  shrine  at  one  time  held 
in  even  greater  esteem  than  its  more  pretending  neighbor,  the 
Parthenon.  Clambering  over  stones  and  bushes,  we  came  to 
a  partition  wall.  Beyond  it  was  the  part  dedicated  to  Pan- 
*(lrosos,  one  of  the  daughters  of  Cecrops,  who  was  worshipped 
here  with  almost  divine  honors.  Thence  we  reached  a  nar- 
rower space  along  the  western  end  of  the  structure,  which 
seems  to  have  served  as  a  mere  passage  between  the  northern 
and  southern  porticoes,  the  greatest  orna- 
ments of  the  Erechtheum.  The  former  is  a 
large  and  spacious  porch  of  the  Ionic  order, 
which  here  is  to  be  seen  in  its  most  perfect 
expression.  Less  grand,  pex'haps,  than  the 
stately  Doric  when  gazed  upon  from  a  dis- 
tance, the  richness  and  chasteness  of  detail 
is  calculated  to  make  this  order  a  more  gen- 
eral favorite.  The  adjacent  soil  here  is  sev- 
eral feet  lower  than  in  front,  and  the  col- 
umns are  consequently  much  larger  than 
those  of  the  chief  entrance. 

But  the  southern  portico,  that  of  the  Car- 
>/atides,  to  which  we  next  repaired,  was  an 
object  of  far  greater  curiosity  and  interest. 
Its  dimensions  are  much  smaller  than  those 
of  the  others ;  but  here  the  place  of  pon- 
derous columns  has  been  assumed  by  six 
colossal  damsels,  whose  mai'ble  heads  sup- 
port the  ponderous  roof.  Some  say  that 
the  statues  represent  the  captive  women  of 
Carya,  a  town  of  Peloponnesus,  destroyed 
bv  the  Athenians  for  sidinfr  with  the  Per- 


A  OARYATia. 


TUK    CAKYATIDES-  1.') 

siau  invaders  against  their  countr}^  But  I  prefer  the  other 
story,  which  makes  them  portraits  of  the  fairest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished of  Athens'  daughters,  chosen  on  account  of  theii* 
beauty  to  sit  for  this  honorable  distinction.  Theirs  are  no 
meretricious  charms,  but  a  dignified  and  devout  expression, 
mingled  with  indescribable  grace  : 

"A  group 
Of  shrinking  Can- atides,  they  muse 
Upon  the  gi-ound,  eyelids  half-closed,  .  .  . 
To  linger  out  their  penance  in  mute  stone.  " 

Egbert  Brownixg. 

Fitting  guardians  of  the  sacred  olive-tree,  which  probably 
stood  in  this  portico ;  the  same  tree  that  Minerva  was  fobled 
to  have  caused  to  grow,  when  she  contended  with  Neptune 
for  supremacy  in  Attica.  The  salt-spring,  created  by  one 
stroke  of  the  sea-god's  potent  trident,  was  also  within  the 
temple.  Antiquarians  will  probably  have  a  puzzling  search 
before  they  find  it. 

I  have  spoken  of  six  Caryatides :  in  reality  there  are  but 
five ;  the  sixth  is  replaced  by  a  wooden  effigy.  Its  prototype 
is  far  away  in  a  museum,  where,  by  foul  means  and  fair,  the 
plunder  of  the  choicest  monuments  of  antiquity  has  been  col- 
lected. Lord  Elgin,  the  spoiler  of  the  Parthenon,  in  robbing 
that  building,  confined  himself  to  taking  away  all  the  mova- 
ble bas-reliefs.  Here,  with  a  more  ruthless  hand,  he  removed 
one  of  the  statues  that  supported  this  graceful  portico — as  a 
sample  of  the  thing,  I  presume.  The  consequence  was,  that 
the  roof  fell,  but  was  recently  restored,  and  a  fictitious  Ca- 
ryatid has  taken  her  place  in  the  midst  of  the  lovely  sister- 
hood. 

With  the  Erechtheum  we  terminated  our  survey  of  the 
Acropolis  and  its  edifices.  The  whole  area  of  the  summit 
was  once  stocked  with  statues  of  benefactors  and  altars  dedi- 
cated to  the  gods.  Nearly  all  these  have  disappeared.  The 
most  precious  and  beautiful  were  undoubtedly  carried  away  at 
a  very  early  date,  to  grace  the  imperial  palaces  and  private 
villas  of  Kome  and  Constantinople.  A  semicircular  pedestal 
Avas,  however,  recently  discovered  by  the  side  of  the  Propyljea, 
where  we  saw  it,  with  an  inscription  "To  Minerva  the  Health- 


46 


THE    ACROPOLIS. 


THE  EEBCHTHEUM  KE8TOEED. 


giver."  It  is  said  to  have  been  erected  in  consequence  of  the 
following  circvunstance :  A  favorite  workman  of  Pericles, 
while  engaged  in  the  construction  of  the  magnificent  portal, 
missed  his  foothold  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Strange  to  say, 
he  was  not  killed  by  the  fall,  and  his  miraculous  preservation, 
ascribed  by  his  master  to  the  guardianship  of  the  goddess,  was 
the  occasion  of  the  erection  of  this  monument.  But  the  most 
striking  object  that  gi-eeted  the  eye,  as  ancient  travelers  inform 
us,  was  a  colossal  statue  of  INIinerva,  standing  between  the 
Parthenon  and  the  Erechtheum.  It  was  surnamed  Promaclms, 
or  "  the  Champion,"  from  the  threatening  mien  with  which  it 
confronted  those  who  entered  the  sacred  precincts.  Armed 
with  helmet  and  spear,  it  seemed  about  to  take  speedy  venge- 
ance on  the  audacious  mortal  who  should  dare  to  disturb,  with 
sacrilegious  hands,  the  consecrated  temples  on  either  side.  The 
valiant  warriors  of  Marathon  had  dedicated  this  statue,  made 
of  the  spoils  of  battle,  in  token  of  their  gratitude.  Standing 
on  a  pedestal,  the  goddess  was  full  seventy-five  feet  above  the 


n 


STATUE    OK    JIINKKVA.  47 

platform  of  the  hill,  and  towered  head  and  shoulders  over  all 
surrounding  objects.  The  mariner,  as  he  doubled  Cape  Suni- 
um,  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  crested  helmet  and  the  spear-head, 
and  shaped  his  course  accordingly.  It  was  a  legend  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  that  the  conquering  Alaric  had  advanced,  in  the 
fourth  century  of  our  era,  to  the  city  of  Athens,  and  climbed 
the  Acropolis,  intending  to  rifle  the  time-honored  localities  of 
their  accumulated  treasures  of  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones. 
But  as  the  creaking  gates  of  the  Propyla^a  were  thrown  open  at 
his  command,  he  saw  before  him  the  gigantic  statue  of  Pallas 
Minerva  armed  with  spear  and  buckler.  She  seemed  to  threat- 
en the  trespasser  with  sudden  destruction.  The  barbarian,  who 
had  feared  neither  God  nor  man,  shrunk  from  what  he  deemed 
so  unequal  a  combat,  and  retired  from  the  place  animated  with 
mingled  admiration  and  awe.  Whether  the  story  be  true  or 
apocryphal,  the  visitor  is  tempted  to  wish  that  our  modern 
Vandals  might  have  beheld  some  like  vision,  or  at  least,  an- 
ticipating the  universal  execration  of  posterity,  have  been  in- 
duced to  withhold  their  hands  from  spoiling  the  most  beauti- 
ful monuments  of  human  skill. 

We  bade  Mr.  Pittakes  good-evening,  and  retraced  our  steps 
toward  the  entrance,  observing  as  we  passed  a  lofty  pedestal, 
standing  opposite  the  temple  of  Victory,  which  was  surmount- 
ed at  first  by  the  equestrian  statues  of  the  two  sons  of  Xeno- 
phon.  In  later  times,  however,  Agrippa,  the  favorite  of  Au- 
gustus, supplanted  them,  and  now  there  is  scarcely  a  trace  of 
either  of  the  statues.  In  descending  the  outer  slope  of  the 
hill  toward  the  town,  we  found  the  ground  covered  with  a  sin- 
gular vine,  which  an  old  Greek  servant  who  accompanied  us 
called  picra  angouria,  or  bitter  cucumbers.  If  the  ripe  fruit  be 
merely  touchM  the  rind  splits,  like  the  common  "  touch-me- 
not,"  and  the  seeds  are  scattered  in  all  directions.  I  found 
that  it  was  the  momordica  elaterium,  a  powerful  cathartic,  and, 
in  large  doses,  a  virulent  poison.  It  seems  to  abound  most  in 
the  neighborhood  of  ancient  ruins. 


TjUE   UKVA   of  THK   i'.NVX  AT   ATI1£>.H. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

ANTIQUITIES    OF   THE    LOWER   TOWN. 

Ha\tng  gratified  my  curiosity  with  a  brief  survey  of  tlio 
Acropolis,  a  visit  often  to  be  repeated  during  my  sojourn  in 
Athens,  there  remained  to  be  seen  the  antiquities  of  the  lower 
town.  The  buildings  of  the  Acropolis  have  the  advantage  of 
belonging  exclusively  to  a  single  age,  and  present  us  with  the 
outlines  of  a  picture  of  Athens  in  the  time  of  Pericles :  its 
lights  and  shades  the  imagination  can  easily  supply.  Those 
structures,  on  the  contrary,  whose  ruins  are  scattered  over  the 
plain,  date  from  various  epochs.  Some  carry  us  back  to  the 
glorious  times  of  liberty,  when  the  name  of  Greek  was  synon- 
ymous with  that  of  freeman.  Others  tell  of  foreign  domina- 
tion, when  gold  and  tinsel  could  scarcely  disguise  the  galling 
chains  of  the  Koman  Emperors.  Though  not  so  numerous  as 
the  ruins  of  the  city  of  the  Ctesars,  nor  spread  over  so  extens- 
ive a  surface,  they  are,  on  the  whole,  better  preserved,  and 
more  interesting  in  themselves.  They  can  scarcely  be  brought 
within  the  compass  of  a  single  excursion. 

My  first  walk  led  me  to  that  quarter  of  ancient  Athens 
which  the  Emperor  Hadrian  took  under  his  special  protection, 
and  was  ambitious  to  have  named  from  himself.  Early  one 
morning,  issuing  forth  into  the  street  upon  Avhich  the  Consul- 
ate faced,  I  followed  it  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the 
Market,  and  in  five  minutes  reached  the  open  fields.  Here, 
as  on  all  sides  of  Athens,  there  stood  formerly  a  low  wall:  but 
it  has  been  destroyed  since  the  time  of  the  Tui-ks,  although  the 
town  has  not  spread  at  all  in  this  direction.     The  view  was 


THE    GATE    OF    IIAHRIAK.  49 

quite  unobstructed.  But  a  few  paces  from  me  rose  a  light 
aud  airy  gateway,  through  whose  open  arch  appeared  in  the 
distance  the  remnant  of  a  noble  colonnade,  on  a  platform 
overlooking  the  bed  of  the  Eiver  Ilissus.  Beyond  the  latter 
were  some  low  hills  lining  the  opposite  bank,  in  which  was 
embedded  the  stadium,  or  ancient  race-course.  The  "Flow- 
ery hill  Hymcttus,"  a  rugged  mountain,  formed  the  background 
of  the  tableau.  Nearer  on  the  left  were  the  king's  palace  and 
the  English  church.  Approaching  the  arch,  I  recognized  in 
it  the  "  Gate  of  Hadrian,"  marking  the  entrance  into  Hadri- 
anopolis.  Directly  over  the  arch  an  inscription  is  cut  in  large 
letters,  which  in  English  would  read  thus : 

"THIS    IS    ATHENS,   THE    ANCIENT   CITY    OF    THESEUS." 

But  on  the  eastern  side  are  the  words, 

"this    is    THE    CITY   OF   HADRIAN,    NOT   THAT   OP    THESEnS." 

They  indicate  conclusively  that  the  Emperor  arrogated  to  him- 
self the  founding  of  this  part  of  Athens,  as  Theseus  had  erect- 
ed the  older  portion.  But  though  the  Emperor  was  a  noble 
patron  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  strove  ineffectually  to  re- 
kindle the  half-extinguished  embers  of  Grecian  genius,  we  can 
only  give  him  the  credit  of  restoring  and  embellishing  the 
dilapidated  city.  Over  the  archway  there  were  columns  of 
the  Corinthian  order,  supporting  a  pediment  of  graceful  pro- 
portions. Between  the  columns  there  were  three  compart- 
ments ;  the  central  one  doubtless  containing  the  statue  of  the 
royal  benefactor,  and  the  others  statues  of  his  favored  friends. 
All  the  great  threshing-floors  of  Athens  are  situated  near 
this  gateway  and  the  adjoining  temple.  From  the  fields  for 
miles  around  the  city,  the  wheat  is  brought  on  the  backs  of 
horses  or  asses  to  the  public  floor.  This  is  generally  a  circu- 
lar area  of  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  paved  with  common  rough 
stones.  Great  heaps  of  sheaves  are  collected,  until  there  is  a 
sufiicient  quantity  to  give  occupation  to  the  threshers.  Then 
the  wheat  is  evenly  distributed  over  the  entire  floor  to  the 
depth  of  several  inches.  Half  a  dozen  horses  with  drags  per- 
form the  operation  of  treading  out  the  grain.  The  drag  is 
furnished  with  iron  teeth  on  its  under  side,  and  is  rendered 
more  effective  by  the  weight  of  the  driver,  who  stands  on  it 
with  a  rope  to  guide  his  horses,  and  a  long  stick  in  his  hands. 

C 


50  ^VNTIQUITIES    OF   THE    LOWEK   TOWN. 

The  entire  number  of  horses  run  abreast,  and  as  they  whirl 
around,  considerable  skill  is  necessary  to  prevent  collision. 
The  air,  meanwhile,  re-echoes  with  the  merry  shouts  of  the 
threshers.  In  a  short  time  the  grain  is  separated  from  the 
stalk,  and  the  straw  is  removed  with  great  wooden  pitchforks. 
Should  the  wind  be  strong  enough,  the  remaining  wheat  is 
winnowed  by  being  thrown  into  the  air  by  means  of  wooden 
shovels.  Passing  by  these  threshing-floors  toward  dusk  one 
evening,  I  found  that  the  grain  not  yet  thoroughly  cleansed  of 
chaff  had  been  piled  up  in  various  places  in  long  low  heaps. 
As  we  approached  two  or  three  peasants  simultaneously  shout- 
ed to  us  to  take  care  not  to  touch  the  wheat.  In  seeking  a 
cause  for  their  solicitude,  we  found  that  the  smooth  surface 
of  the  heap  had  been  stamped  in  various  places,  or,  as  they 
said,  it  had  been  sealed — "  boulonetai."  Impressions  had 
been  made  by  means  of  a  board  a  foot  long,  with  a  few  letters 
deeply  cut  into  it,  at  intervals  of  a  few  inches,  over  the  entire 
surface.  The  object  was  to  prevent  the  owner  from  coming 
stealthily  and  removing  any  part  of  his  produce,  without  pay- 
ing the  usual  contribution  of  one  tenth  to  the  government. 
The  owner  is  consequently  obliged  to  lie  down  by  the  floor  at 
night,  and  prevent  any  stray  cattle  from  marring  the  impres- 
sion of  the  seal.  The  custom  is  of  Oriental  origin,  and  it  may 
be  readily  imagined  hoAV  oppressive  it  is  to  the  Greek  farmer. 
The  archway  is  still  a  thoroughfare ;  for  I  met  a  long  line 
of  donkeys  laden  with  brush,  entering  the  town  through  it ; 
while  another  string  came,  on  their  way  from  the  market, 
with  empty  paniers  on  their  backs.  I  walked  to  the  columns 
that  I  had  seen  in  the  distance,  belonging  to  the  Temple  of  Ju- 
piter Olympiiis.  From  afar  some  conception  of  their  size  could 
be  formed,  by  comparing  them  with  two  or  three  wooden  drink- 
ing-shops  in  their  immediate  neighborhood.  But  when  I  stood 
by  the  pedestal  of  one  of  these  enormous  piles,  it  seemed  to 
tower  almost  to  the  skies.  The  square  block  on  which  one  of 
them  rested  measured,  I  found,  about  eight  feet  and  a  half  on 
each  side.  The  base  of  the  column  was  twenty-one  feet  in 
circumference,  and  it  was  more  than  sixty  feet  high.  Of  these 
immense  pillars  only  sixteen  were  standing,  and  one  of  these 
has  fallen  since.     They  belonged  to  the  southeastern  corner  of 


THE  OIABIPIUM.  51 

the  edifice.  Of  the  magnitude  and  appearance  of  the  Olym- 
pium,  the  following  particulars  will  convey  some  idea.  It 
was  359  feet  long  and  173  broad.  The  whole  was  surround- 
ed by  a  spacious  portico,  sustained  on  the  sides  by  a  double, 
and  at  the  ends  by  a  triple  row  of  Corinthian  columns.  Twen- 
ty stood  in  each  row  on  the  sides,  and  ten  formed  the  fagade. 
There  were,  besides,  a  few  columns  in  the  entrance  of  the  main 
body,  or  cella  of  the  temple ;  so  that  the  entire  number  em- 
ployed in  the  adorning  of  the  outside  was  no  less  than  120  or 
122.  The  cost  of  quarrying  such  immense  blocks  of  stone  as 
make  up  these  columns,  must  necessarily  have  been  enormous ; 
for  they  were  brought  with  little  or  no  mechanical  assistance 
from  the  marble  quarries  of  Mount  Pentelicus.  They  have 
suffered  less  from  the  effects  of  earthquakes  than  the  Parthe- 
non ;  but  the  hand  of  man  has  dealt  even  more  hardly  with 
them.  For  ages  the  unfortunate  Olympium  has  served  as  a 
marble  mine  for  the  inhabitants  of  Athens.  As  late  as  1760 
a  seventeenth  column  was  demolished  by  order  of  the  Turkish 
governor,  who  used  its  materials  in  the  construction  of  a  new 
mosque  in  the  bazar.  Such  also  has  doubtless  been  the  fate  of 
the  whole  interior  of  the  temple,  of  which  not  a  vestige  has 
been  left. 
And  yet 

"  Thou  art  not  silent  I — oracles  are  thine 
Which  the  wind  utters,  and  the  spirit  hears, 
Lingering  mid  ruin'd  fane  and  broken  shrine, 
O'er  many  a  tale  and  trace  of  other  years ! 
Bright  as  an  ark,  o'er  all  the  flood  of  tears 
That  wraps  thy  cradle-land,  thine  earthly  love, 
Wliere  hours  of  hojie  mid  centuries  of  fears. 
Have  gleamed,  like  lightnings  through  the  gloom  ahove. 
Stands,  roofless  to  the  sky,  thy  home,  OljTnpian  Jove  1" 

T.  K.  BLekvet. 

The  history  of  the  Olympium  adds  interest  to  its  ruins 
greater  than  the  mere  statement  of  their  dimensions  could  give. 
No  ancient  structure  in  Greece  has  undergone  such  vicissitudes 
of  fortune.  About  twenty-four  centuries  have  rolled  away 
since  the  first  stone  was  laid,  not  far  from  a  hundred  years  be- 
fore Pericles  commenced  the  Parthenon.  To  Pisistratus,  about 
the  year  530  b.c,  may  be  ascribed  the  idea  of  erecting  in  Ath- 


4 

52  ANTIQUITIES    OF    THE    EOV\'EIi    TOWN. 

ens  a  temple  to  the  Jupiter  of  Mount  Olympus :  but  his  plan 
was  slowly  executed  during  the  period  of  the  Athenian  com- 
monwealth. For  ages  the  Olympium,  like  the  shrines  of  Co- 
logne and  Milan,  remained  in  an  unfinished  condition.  The 
limited  resources  of  the  Athenian  state  could  ill  afford  the  vast 
sums  needful  for  the  completion  of  a  temple,  which,  after  that 
of  Diana  at  Ephesus,  was  probably  the  greatest  structure  of 
the  Greek  world.  All  her  own  revenues,  and  those  of  her  al- 
lies, were  swallowed  up  in  a  rapid  succession  of  useless  civil 
wars,  or  lavished  in  the  decoration  of  the  smaller  but  more  ex- 
quisite models  of  the  Acropolis.  To  cap  the  climax  of  mis- 
fortune, when  Sylla  captured  Athens  with  a  Roman  army, 
after  an  obstinate  siege,  he  plundered  the  Olympium  of  all  its 
newly-prepared  columns,  which  he  transported  to  Kome,  and 
placed  around  the  more  potent  Jupiter  of  the  Capitol.  After 
so  severe  a  loss,  more  than  two  centuries  elapsed  before  the 
Emperor  Hadrian  undertook  to  finish  it.  Those  fine  columns 
of  Pentelican  marble  which  we  now  see,  were  doubtless  erected 
by  this  prince,  and  nothing  older  remains,  but  the  massive 
stone  walls  supporting  its  platform,  strengthened  at  regular 
intervals  by  strong  buttresses. 

An  Athenian  friend  pointed  out  to  me  a  piece  of  modern 
wall  on  the  top  of  the  architrave  of  one  of  the  columns,  be- 
tween sixty  and  seventy  feet  above  the  ground.  "That," 
said  he,  "  was  the  cell  of  a  solitary  hermit,  who  many  years 
ago  took  up  his  abode  there  for  the  remnant  of  his  life.  His 
superior  sanctity  soon  became  known  throughout  the  town. 
Multitudes  flocked  out  to  see  this  new  Simon  Stylites,  who 
spent  his  time,  as  was  reported,  solely  in  the  exercise  of  med- 
itation and  devotion.  Since,  however,  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other  could  satisfy  his  bodily  wants,  he  was  accustomed 
at  stated  intervals  to  lower  a  basket,  which  the  devout  old 
women  were  but  too  glad  to  fill  with  all  necessary  food.  Un- 
fortunately the  old  hermit  has  gone  the  way  of  all  living; 
and  no  one  has  been  found  sufficiently  devout  or  courageous 
to  take  his  place,  even  in  hope  of  living  on  the  public  during 
the  term  of  his  natural  life." 

Descending  from  the  platform  of  the  Olympium,  I  presently 
reached  the  bed  of  the  Ilissus.     It  was  as  dry  as  the  ground 


THE    STADIUM.  ■:■> 

about  it,  except  in  one  spot  where  there  was  a  spring.  At 
this  spot  the  women  were  ah*eady  busy  washing  clothes;  while 
lialf  a  score  of  boys  played  about  the  water,  and  filled  the  air 
with  their  outcries.  This,  it  is  now  well  agreed,  was  the  fount- 
ain Callirrhoe,  or  Enneacrunus,  as  it  was  called  from  the  nine 
pipes  that  fed  it.  Its  water  was  considered  the  purest,  and 
maidens  before  their  marriage,  as  well  as  priestesses,  were  wont 
to  bathe  in  its  mystic  bosom,  1  followed  the  dry  channel  for 
some  distance.  In  Avinter  the  rains  swell  the  Ilissus  to  the 
size  of  a  moderate  creek ;  but  it  never  deserves  the  name  of  a 
river,  in  our  sense  of  the  word.  At  present  it  was  overgrown 
with  shrubs.  Among  the  rest,  I  noticed  particularly  the  ag- 
nus  castns,  and  the  oleander,  both  of  which  flower  in  spring. 
They  grow  here  in  the  greatest  profusion. 

A  few  steps  brought  me  to  the  piers  of  an  ancient  bridge 
across  the  Ilissus  :  which  was  undoubtedly  a  much  more  con- 
stant, and,  perhaps,  a  more  abundant  stream,  when  the  country 
was  more  thoroughly  cultivated,  and  the  mountains  were  cov- 
ered with  dense  forests.  The  bridge  served  as  an  approach  to 
the  Stadium,  occupying  a  hollow  between  two  low  hills  on  the 
opposite,  or  southern  bank.  The  ravine  was  naturally  well 
adapted  to  the  construction  of  a  stadium,  and  it  required  com- 
paratively little  labor  to  give  it  the  form  required.  This 
was  done  about  the  middle  of  the  fourth  centmy  before  Christ, 
for  the  celebration  of  the  games  annually  observed  during  the 
Panathenaic  festival.  The  hills  on  either  side  were  crowded 
with  benches  for  spectators,  of  whom  twenty-five  thousand 
might  be  accommodated  with  seats,  besides  the  multitudes  who 
could  stand  on  the  summit.  The  length  of  the  level  space  at 
the  bottom  is  675  feet,  and  its  width  at  the  end  toward  the 
Ilissus  is  137  feet.  At  the  other,  or  rounded  end,  where  the 
chariots  were  to  turn,  it  is  nearly  twice  as  wide.  Here  the 
judges  sat  far  aloft.  The  benches,  which  were  originally  of 
the  common  limestone,  or  else  of  wood,  were  replaced  by  the 
bounty  of  a  single  private  citizen,  Herodes  Atticus,  a  subject 
of  Hadrian,  by  marble  seats ;  which,  however,  have  been  all 
taken  away.  The  effect  of  those  imposing  games  was  further 
increased  by  two  temples  crowning  the  hill  on  both  sides  of 
the  Stadium. 


i}\  ANTIQUITIES    OF   THE    LOWER    'J'OWN. 

I  made  my  way,  through  the  clumps  of  bushes  that  cover 
the  bottom  of  the  Stadium,  to  the  rounded  end.  Here  I  found 
a  man  busy  at  work,  picking  dandelion  leaves,  of  which  he  was 
going  to  made  a  salad.  This  dish  is  said,  by  those  who  like  sal- 
ads, to  be  quite  palatable ;  but  I  must  confess  that  it  was  not  to 
my  taste.  A  little  to  the  right  of  the  judges'  seat  is  a  large 
opening  in  the  side  of  the  hill,  which  I  explored.  Following 
it  a  short  distance,  I  found  it  nearly  choked  up  in  places  by  the 
falling  of  stone  and  earth  from  overhead.  After  a  bend  the 
passage  comes  out  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill.  The  ob- 
ject of  this  outlet  was  obvious  enough.  The  charioteers  who 
had  been  vanquished,  drove,  or  rather  sneaked  out  through  it; 
while  their  victorious  competitor  proceeded  to  the  city  by  the 
direct  road,  and  received  the  loud  acclamations  of  the  multi- 
tude. 

The  heat  was  already  gi'owing  oppressive,  and  I  hastened 
to  return.  Beyond  the  Ilissus  from  the  Stadium,  a  stone  wall 
bounds  a  small  inclosure  which  now  serves  as  the  English  and 
American  cemetery.  Here  are  buried  a  number  of  our  coun- 
trymen who  have  died  far  from  home  and  native  land.  The 
whole  is  well  laid  out,  and  in  time  will  be  a  cool  and  pleas- 
ant spot. 

Upon  another  morning  I  went  to  visit  the  ruins  on  the  south- 
ern side  of  the  Acropolis.  During  the  previous  day  there  had 
sprung  up  a  strong  north  wind,  called  by  the  Greeks  Meltem- 
■pi.  While  it  continued  the  air  Avas  filled  Avith  sand  and  dust, 
raised  in  its  course  over  the  dry  plain,  upon  which,  scarcely  a 
drop  of  rain  had  fallen.  It  is  said  to  continue  at  least  three 
days ;  and  during  that  time  it  is  exceedingly  disagreeable  to 
venture  out.  It  was  quite  impossible  to  make  even  the  rough- 
est sketch.  Clouds  of  dust  concealed  the  distant  mountains 
from  view.  Not  far  below  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
Acropolis,  I  came  to  a  half-ruined  building,  said  to  be  part 
of  the  monastery  where  Lord  Byron  resided  while  at  Athens. 
-Tust  beyond  it  vv^as  the  singular  little  structure  that  goes  by 
the  popular  name  of  the  Lantern  of  Demosthenes.  More  prop- 
erly it  is  the  Choragic  Monument  of  Lysiardcs.  Its  plan  is  quite 
unique.  Upon  a  square  foundation,  now  almost  entirely  buried 
beneath  an  accumulation   of  earth,  rises  a  round   building, 


tJOMBATS    OF    BACOHLS. 


CHOEAGIC   ilOSUilEXT   OF  LTSICEATEb. 


scarcely  six  feet  in  diameter.  Six  graceful  Corinthian  col- 
umns support  an  entablature,  upcfn  which  are  sculptured  with 
exquisite  skill,  though  on  a  small  scale,  the  contests  of  Bac- 
chus and  the  Tyi-rhenian  pirates.  These  criminals  are  seen 
fleeing  before  the  -wine-god  and  his  attendant  satyrs.  In  two 
or  three  places  they  are  represented  at  the  very  moment  when, 
by  the  mandate  of  Bacchus,  their  bodies  are  undergoing  a  trans- 
formation into  dolphins.  The  fish's  head  already  gi'ows  on 
the  man's  shoulders,  and  the  unfortunate  monster  is  about  to 
plunge  into  ocean's  depths.  Elsewhere,  Bacchus  is  seen  relax- 
ing from  his  toils,  and  playing  A^dth  a  huge  lion,  upon  a  lone- 
ly rock.  On'  the  top  of  the  roof  there  is  a  triangular  pedes- 
tal. This  explains  the  use  of  the  whole  monument,  or  temple. 
Lysicrates,  as  indeed  we  learn  from  an  inscription  still  legi- 
ble on  the  architrave,  was  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Athens,  and 
one  of  those  who  were  expected  to  defray  the  expenses  of  train- 


oG 


ANTIQUITIES    OF    THE    I-OWEK    TOWN. 


ing  the  orchestras,  for  the  great  musical  performances  in  tlie 
neighboring  Theatre  of  Bacchus.  On  one  occasion,  the  same 
year  that  Alexander  the  Gi*eat  invaded  the  Persian  empire,  his 
chorus  gained  the  victory  ;  and  the  prize,  a  highly  ornamented 
brazen  tripod,  was  adjudged  to  Lysicrates.  This  little  temple 
was  erected  expressly  to  serve  as  a  support  for  the  honorable 
reward.  The  common  people  give  it  the  name  of  Lantern  of 
Demosthenes,  because  they  have  a  tradition  that  the  noble 
Athenian  orator  made  it  his  study.  The  chief  difficulty  that 
naturally  occurs  to  every  one  at  first  sight,  is  that  the  ancient 
worthy  would  have  been  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  enter  the 
building,  for  the  space  between  the  columns  was  closed  by 
curved  slabs  of  marble,  and  there  was  no  door.  Besides,  the 
dark  interior  of  a  monimient  scarce  six  feet  in  breadth,  could 
not  have  furnished  him  a  very  pleasant  place  of  meditation. 

The  modern  town  does  not  extend  much  further  in  this  direc- 
tion. The  neighborhood  can  muster,  however,  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  boys  ;  who,  on  another  occasion,  when  I  came  to  sketch 
the  "lantern,"  or  "yrt««n,"  gathered  around  me,  to  my  no 
small  amusement,  and  watched  me  as  naiTowly  as  they  did 
my  drawing.  A  friend  of  mine,  an  American  artist,  not  long- 
after,  while  engaged  in  the  same  occupation,  was  equally  en- 
tertained in  observing  the  interest  that  these  urchins  manifest- 
ed in  his  proceedings.  In  fact,  they  came  up  closer  than  nec- 
essary ;  and  on  his  return  to  the  hotel  he  found  that  his  hand- 
Icerchief  had  been  skillfully  abstracted  from  his  pocket. 

Having  turned  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  Acropolis,  I 


STRKET    OF    TIIH    TRIT'ODS. 


STREET    OK    THE    TRIPODS.  ;> . 

reached  a  slope  once  occupied  by  the  Theatre  of  Bacchus,  of 
which  scarcely  a  trace  remains,  except  in  the  shape  of  the  soil. 
The  ancient  approach  to  this  celebrated  edifice  was  by  a  thor- 
oughfare running  by  the  Monument  of  Lysicrates,  and  called 
the  Street  of  the  Tripods,  from  the  number  of  those  trophies 
displayed  on  every  side.  Directly  above  the  theatre  there  is  a 
natural  cavern,  which  was  formerly  adorned  with  a  fagade  by 
some  successful  leader  in  the  orchestra ;  and  two  columns  of 
unequal  height  standing  at  the  very  foot  of  the  citadel's  walls, 
were  likeAvise  surmounted  by  tripods.  I  climbed  up  to  the 
cavern,  which  is  now  turned  into  a  sort  of  chapel  dedicated  to 
the  "  Panagia  Speliotissa"  or  the  "  Virgin  of  the  Cave."  A 
solitary  lamp  was  burning  in  broad  daylight  before  a  rude  pic- 
ture ;  but  not  a  soul  was  in  sight.  It  is  a  pleasing  feature  of 
the  Greek  character,  that  even  the  vilest  pay  a  sincere  respect 
to  religion.  However  mistaken  their  notions  of  morality  and 
devotion  in  general,  even  the  lieft,  or  professed  robber,  would 
never  di'eam  of  touching  with  sacrilegious  intent  any  thing 
belonging  to  the  Church ;  though  the  unfortunate  curate  hap- 
pening to  fall  in  -with  him  finds  no  pity  at  his  hands.  The 
churches  and  chapels  in  the  most  lonely  places  are  lefl  open 
without  the  least  fear  of  desecration.  Before  the  entrance  of 
the  cave  lie  one  or  two  inscriptions  bearing  the  name  of  Thra- 
syllus,  the  builder  of  the  architectural  part. 

Following  the  base  of  the  southern  side  of  the  Acropolis,  I 
passed  over  the  site  of  the  Stoa  or  Porch  of  Eumenes,  where 
the  people  used  to  take  refuge,  when  a  sudden  shower  of  rain 
drove  them  from  the  roofless  theatre.  I  noticed  there  several 
deep  wells,  and  a  bath  made  of  stone,  with  an  inscription  dif- 
ficult to  be  deciphered.  I  now  entered  the  Odeum  of  Eegilla, 
built  by  Herodes  Atticus  in  honor  of  his  wife.  This  private 
citizen  was,  next  to  his  sovereign  Hadrian,  the  greatest  bene- 
factor of  Athens,  where  he  left  ample  indications  of  his  mu- 
nificence. So  great  was  his  wealth,  that  the  story  was  current 
that  his  father  had  unexpectedly  discovered  a  treasure  hidden 
under  gi'ound.  According  to  law,  it  belonged  to  the  cro^\Ti ; 
and  Herodes  wrote  at  once  to  the  Emperor,  to  ask  Avhat  he 
should  do  with  it.  "  Use  it,"  was  Nerva's  direction.  The 
treasure  was  so  considerable,  that  the  Athenian  replied  he 

C  2 


o8 


ANTIQUITIES    OK    THE    LOWEK    Tf>AVN. 


ODEUM   OF  IIEKODKS. 


knew  not  how  to  use  it.  "  Abuse  it  then,"  the  generous  mon- 
arch at  once  rejoined.*  Accordingly  tlie  son  lavished  his 
money  with  a  freedom  that  knew  no  parallel ;  but  he  had  at 
least  the  merit  of  making  it  conduce  to  the  public  good. 

I  found  the  remains  of  the  Odeum  more  extensive  than  I 
had  anticipated.  The  spectators  sat  on  marble  benches  on  the 
side  of  the  hill ;  but  these  have  been  carried  away.  The  mas- 
sive wall,  however,  behind  the  orchestra,  rises  to  the  height 
of  three  or  four  stories.  The  scene  was  formed  by  the  reced- 
ing of  the  wall  toward  the  centre ;  and  the  windows  behind  it 
were  closed,  that  the  attention  of  the  spectators  might  not  be 
distracted  by  a  sight  of  the  landscape  beyond.  The  other 
windows  were  large  and  arched,  and  plenty  of  light  was  ob- 
tained from  overhead,  since  all  the  performances  took  place  dur- 
ing the  daytime.  Lest,  however,  the  people  should  be  incom- 
moded by  the  sun,  a  huge  tent  of  canvas  was  stretched  over 
the  audience.  It  has  been  calculated  that  about  six  thousand 
people  could  be  contained  within  the  Odeum,  whose  diameter 
is  about  two  hundred  and  forty  feet ;  Avhile  the  Theatre  of 
Bacchus  is  stated  to  have  been  capable  of  holding  twenty  or 
even  thirty  thousand  spectators.  I  climbed  with  ease  to  one 
of  the  windows,  and  sat  there  a  while,  enjoying  an  extended 
view  reaching  to  the  Saronic  Gulf  on  the  left.  The  hill  of 
*  Gibbon,  chap.  II. 


THK    MUSEUM.  oU 

the  Museum,  which  1  intended  to  visit  next,  was  directly  in 
front.  At  the  western  end  of  the  scene  1  found  an  ancient 
winding  stairway  by  which  I  attained  the  exterior ;  and  then 
ascended  to  the  level  of  the  ground  by  an  ancient  flight  of  steps. 

A  dry  and  dusty  field  stretched  between  the  Odeum  and  the 
Museum.  It  was  a  veritable  field  of  stones,  mixed  with  frag- 
ments of  broken  pottery.  A  friend  walking  with  me  over  the 
same  ground,  picked  up  the  handle  of  a  jar  of  common  earth- 
enware, with  a  stamp  containing  the  name  of  the  archon  in 
whose  time  it  was  made.  Such  fragments  are  not  unfrequent- 
ly  fomid,  and  seem  to  indicate,  from  the  frequent  occurrence 
of  the  names  of  Rhodes,  Cos,  etc.,  that  most  of  the  vessels 
were  made  in  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago.  Less  fortunate, 
I  discovered,  nevertheless,  two  pieces  of  baked  clay  in  the  foi-m 
of  square  truncated  pyramids,  above  two  inches  high,  and  an 
inch  and  a  half  broad  at  the  base.  Dr.  K.  supposes  them  to 
have  been  used  for  plumb-fines,  from  their  similarity  to  the 
weights  noAv  employed  for  that  purpose ;  but  ]Vli'.  Finlay  in- 
clines to  tlfink  that  they  were  weights  used  by  weavers,  or, 
perhaps,  even  registered  weights.  The  two  that  I  found  had 
each  a  hole  passing  through  near  the  top,  for  a  string  or  han- 
dle, and  were  originally  covered  with  glazing. 

There  were  a  number  of  men  dressed  in  the  common  peas- 
ant's costume,  with  their  wide  baggy  trowsers,  engaged  in  col- 
lecting the  stones  into  heaps — an  endless  task,  as  it  seemed  to 
me.  How  any  thing  can  gi'ow  in  so  arid  a  soil  passed  my 
comprehension.  Yet  it  is  difiicult  to  judge  of  the  productive- 
ness of  the  land,  at  a  season  when  it  has  been  parched  during 
five  or  six  months  of  uninterrupted  drought ;  that  is,  since  the 
middle  of  May. 

The  Museum  is  a  hill  of  almost  the  same  height  as  the 
Acropolis,  though  altogether  difl^erent  in  shape,  and  present- 
ing an  easy  ascent  on  this  side.  It  is  situated  a  few  hundred 
yards  to  the  south  or  southwest.  The  name  is  derived  from  a 
poet,  Musjeus,  who  is  fabled  to  have  sung  his  last  songs  here, 
and  to  have  been  buried  on  the  spot.  The  chief  object  of  in- 
terest is  a  very  conspicuous  ruin  on  the  summit,  which  can  be 
descried  from  afar  on  the  plain.  It  is  the  Monument  of  Phi- 
lopappiis,  the  last  descendant  of  the  Seleucidae,  the  ruling  dy- 


GO 


ANTl^jtlTIKft    OK    'l'>IK    l.OWf^K    TOWN. 


MONTUIENT  OF  PUII.OP^VPPrS. 

nasty  of  Syi'ia  until  its  conquest  by  the  Eomans.  Semicircu- 
lar in  form,  the  concave  portion  is  turned  toward  the  city,  and 
is  adorned  with  sculptures  of  considerable  merit,  executed  about 
A.D.  105,  during  the  reign  of  Trajan.  Originally  tliei'e  were 
three  niches,  separated  by  pilasters ;  but  as  the  Avestern  third 
has  fallen,  there  now  remain  but  two  niches.  The  principal 
one  is  filled  by  a  mutilated  statue  of  Philopappus  himself,  who 
seems  to  have  become  an  Athenian  citizen,  and  distinguished 
himself  for  his  public  liberality  and  munificence.  This  ac- 
counts for  the  permission  granted  him  to  erect  his  tomb  with- 
in the  walls  by  the  Athenians,  who  were  so  much  opposed  to 
intermural  interments.  The  niches  on  eitlier  side  were  small- 
er, and  contained  statues  of  Antiochus  and  Seleucus.  Below 
them  is  a  spirited  bas-relief  representing  a  triumphal  proces- 
sion— most  probably  that  of  the  Emperor  Trajan.  As  usual, 
not  one  of  the  heads  of  the  figures  has  been  preserved.  The 
Turks,  believing  them  to  be  the  idols  of  tlie  infidels,  uniformly 
mutilated  tlio  countenances,  that  they  might  no  longer  be  oh- 


I.(_KN(;    WALLS    OK    ATHENS.  (i  1 

jects  of  adoration.  The  whole  edifice  seems  to  have  been 
about  thirty  feet  broad.  The  opposite  or  convex  side  was 
probably  devoid  of  much  ornament ;  and,  indeed,  any  decora- 
tion would  have  been  quite  useless,  since  the  city  wall  was  di- 
i-ectly  in  the  rear. 

On  the  Museum  the  fortifications  of  Athens  joined  the  Long 
Walls,  which  served  to  keep  up  a  safe  and  constant  communi- 
cation between  it  and  Piraius.  Standing  on  the  top,  I  could 
readily  trace  the  direction  of  the  two  walls,  running  parallel 
for  nearly  four  miles,  at  the  distance  of  five  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  apart.  Wlien  they  reached  the  heights  above  Piraeus, 
these  huge  arms  of  the  city  opened  and  received  the  entire 
port  within  their  embrace.  The  northern  wall  encompassed 
the  principal  harbor,  while  the  other  ran  down  to  the  sea- 
shore. Themistocles,  who  erected  th^e  powerful  fortifications 
of  Piraeus,  is  said  to  have  planned  this  immense  undertaking ; 
but  it  was  executed  by  Pericles,  and  ranked  among  his  great- 
est works.  For  the  space  between  the  walls  not  only  offered 
a  safe  refuge  to  the  villagers  and  country-people,  but  the  walls 
were  a  long  intrenchment  defending  all  the  fields  to  the  south 
from  armed  invasion.  The  possession  of  so  strong  a  system  of 
fortification  was  naturally  an  object  of  envy  to  the  Spartans ; 
and  when  Athens  fell  into  their  hands,  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  Peloponnesian  War,  they  set  about  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion to  the  sound  of  joyous  music,  and  crowned  with  festive 
chaplets.*  It  was  fourteen  years  later  that  the  Athenian  ad- 
miral, Conon,  supported  by  a  Persian  fleet,  restored  tlie  walls 
to  their  original  strength. 

I  walked  down  the  western  side  of  the  hill,  and  in  the  hol- 
low between  it  and  the  Pnyx  I  saw  a  curious  tomb  hewn  out 
from  the  solid  rock.  Farther  on  I  reached  what  goes  by  the 
name  of  the  Prison  of  Socrates.  There  are  three  doors  in  the 
face  of  the  rock.  The  left  and  middle  one  lead  into  a  square 
chamber  with  rough  walls.  The  other  opens  into  an  oblong 
room  of  small  size,  in  the  farther  corner  of  which  there  is  a 
doorway  conducting  to  a  third  chamber,  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in 
diameter.  The  ceiling  is  dome-shaped,  and  a  round  aperture 
lets  in  a  flood  of  light  from  above.  AVhat  these  excavations 
*  Thirhvall's  History  of  Greece,  c.  XXX. 


(i2  ANTIQUITIKS    OF    THE    LOWER   TOAVN. 

served  for,  1  was  qviite  at  a  loss  in  settling  to  my  own  satisfac- 
tion. It  seems  improbable  that  they  should  have  been  used 
for  a  prison  ;  and  being  inside  of  the  walls,  they  can  scarcely 
have  been  tombs.  The  notion  has  long  prevailed  among  the 
Athenians  that  they  were  occupied  by  the  Attic  sage  whose 
name  they  bear,  and  that  he  expired  within  their  vaults. 

Walking  along  the  Pnyx,  which  is  a  ridge  much  lower  than 
the  Museum,  I  soon  found  myself  on  the  level  platform  where 
the  assemblies  of  the  people  were  held.  The  ground  seems  to 
have  been  reduced  to  its  present  condition  by  artificial  means. 
Its  plan  is  semicircular;  and  the  base,  which  appears  to  be 
straight,  is  in  reality  curved  inwardly.  Whether  this  was  ac- 
cidental, or  answered  the  purpose  of  improving  the  acoustic 
effect,  I  am  not  informed.  The  arrangement,  however,  seems 
eminently  to  favor  the  conveyance  of  sound  over  a  large  area. 
The  perpendicular  face  of  rock,  some  ten  feet  in  height,  bound- 
ing the  Pnyx  on  this  side,  is  interrupted  in  the  centre  by  a 
square  stand  projecting  some  feet  out  of  the  line.  By  means 
of  steps  on  one  side  of  it,  I  mounted  to  the  top,  and  stood  upon 
the  bema,  or  rostrum,  whence  Demosthenes  delivered  some  of 
his  most  stirring  orations.  On  the  crowded  space  before 
him  were  collected  thousands  of  auditors  who  hung  upon  his 
words.  Since  no  part  of  the  area  was  occupied  by  seats,  the 
number  within  reach  of  his  voice  must  have  been  immense. 
Every  voter  could  be  accommodated  with  ease,  for  it  contain- 
ed no  less  than  twelve  thousand  yards  ;*  and  six  thousand 
hearers  are  mentioned  as  having  been  present  on  some  partic- 
ular occasions.  The  lower  side  of  the  platform  is  supported 
by  a  wall  of  stone  drawn  from  the  vicinity.  These  attracted 
my  attention  from  their  unusual  size.  One  that  I  measured 
was  twelve  feet  in  length  and  six  or  seven  high ;  its  breadth 
I  was  unable  to  ascertain.  The  bulk  of  these  blocks  entitles 
them  almost  to  be  ranked  among  the  Cyclopean  constructions 
of  the  earlier  period  of  Gi'eek  history. 

Between  the  Pnyx  and  the  Acropolis  is  a  still  lower  hill, 

one  of  the  same  system  of  elevations,  and  I  directed  my  steps 

thither  as  I  returned  to  the  consulate.     It  is  a  mere  rock, 

rough  and  precipitous  on  three  sides,  especially  toward  the 

*  Wordsworth's  Athens  and  Attica,  p.  69. 


THE    Hll.l.    OK    MAlfS.  03 

Acropolis,  where  a  large  mass  has  broken  off  and  fallen.  This 
is  the  Areopagus,  or  Hill  of  Mars.  Nothing  in  its  external 
appearance  would  convey  the  least  intimation  that  here  was 
the  seat  of  the  most  venerable  court  of  Athens,  or  indeed  of 
Greece,  whose  first  duty  is  said  to  have  been  to  try  the  god  Mars 
on  a  charge  of  murder,  while  among  its  last  scenes  was  the  no- 
ble defence  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  Here,  in  full  view  of  the 
whole  city,  wjiose  gorgeous  temples,  the  resort  of  a  devout  and 
superstitious  multitude,  towered  above  the  other  buildings : 
the  orator  was  called  upon  to  defend  the  introduction  of  a 
new  and  strange  religion.  Unterrified  by  the  fear  of  punish- 
ment for  a  crime  that  four  centuries  before  had  cost  Socrates 
his  life,  St.  Paul  boldly  preached  a  God,  whom  they  ignorant- 
ly  worshipped,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which  they 
laughed  to  scorn.  Of  no  site  in  Athens  can  there  be  less  rea- 
son to  distrust  the  identity.  It  has  been  proved  beyond  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt.  And  though  it  be  divested  of  all  save 
these  hallowed  associations,  the  Christian  can  stand  on  no 
spot,  even  in  this  classic  land,  that  calls  up  such  thrilling  rec- 
ollections. It  is  well  for  us,  perhaps,  that  besides  some  six- 
teen steps  cut  in  the  limestone  rock,  and  a  bench  near  the  top, 
little  remains  to  indicate  the  precise  locality  where  the  re- 
nowned court  held  its  sessions.  I  felt  that  we  might  be  in- 
duced to  pay  too  much  reverence  to  the  scene  of  so  great  a 
transaction,  and  forget  the  truths  the  Apostle  meant  to  incul- 
cate. Strangely  enough,  the  Greeks  have  built  no  chapel  on 
the  illustrious  rock,  though,  until  lately,  there  were  the  ruins 
of  a  small  church  of  St.  Dionysius  the  Areopagite  at  a  short 
distance  below. 

I  had  now  made  most  of  the  circuit  of  the  Acropolis,  and  I 
brought  my  walk  to  a  conclusion  by  strolling  along  the  north- 
em  side  until  I  entered  a  narrow  lane,  and  found  my  way 
home. 

To  complete  our  survey  of  the  antiquities  of  Athens,  we 
must  explore  those  that  lie  concealed  in  the  modern  town. 
Almost  directly  in  front  of  the  post-office  is  a  singular  octag- 
onal building.  The  common  name  it  goes  by  is  the  Temple 
of  ^olus,  or  of  the  Winds,  from  the  winged  figures  upon  the 
sides.     Each  is  the  impersonation  of  the  wind  blowing  from 


64  ANllQUITIES    OF    TllK    J.O\\'EJ:    J'OWN. 

that  particular  point  of  the  compass.  Boreas  looks  northward 
down  the  principal  thoroughfare  of  the  city,  toward  the  mark- 
et-place. Zephyrus  meets  the  mild  western  breezes  that  blow 
from  the  plains  of  Eleusis.  A  curious  triton  formerly  adorned 
the  top  like  a  weather-cock,  and  the  wand  in  his  hand  point- 
ed out  the  wind  that  prevailed.  This  interesting  monument, 
which  was  in  reahty  a  Horologmm,  or  "clock-tower,"  built 
by  a  single  public-spirited  Athenian,  Andronicus  Cyrrhestes, 
served  to  keep  time  for  the  whole  town.  On  the  sides  are  to 
be  ti-aced  as  easily  as  ever  the  lines  of  the  old  sun-dials.  A 
few  years  since  new  rods  of  iron  were  inserted  as  gnomons  at 
each  of  the  corners ;  and  now  the  passer  may  read  the  time 
from  the  face  of  the  marble,  chiseled  two  thousand  years  ago. 
For  cloudy  weather  a  water-clock,  the  only  time-piece  the  an- 
cients were  acquainted  with,  was  placed  for  inspection  in  the 
interior  of  the  edifice.  This  was,  in  fact,  its  principal  design. 
An  aqueduct,  a  few  arches  of  which  still  remain,  conducted 
the  water  of  a  small  spring  into  a  reservoir  just  behind  the 
tower,  and  so  supplied  the  clock.  At  present  the  Horologium 
stands  in  a  hole  full  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep.  This  fui'nish- 
es  a  pretty  accurate  standard  to  determine  the  accumulation 
of  soil  during  the  past  twenty  centuries.  What  treasures  of 
art  lie  concealed  beneath  the  rubbish  it  is  now  impossible  to 
determine.  The  modern  town  has  grown  over  it  again  since 
the  revolution,  and  there  are  slender  grounds  for  expecting 
that  any  thorough  system  of  exploration  wiU  be  undertaken 
in  our  day. 

Walking  down  into  the  market-place  our  attention  is  imme- 
diately drawn  to  the  gray  stone  Avails  overtopping  the  wooden 
shanties,  and  contrasting  singularly  with  their  weakness.  I 
penetrated  through  the  crowd  of  peddlers  and  buyers,  and 
found  myself  within  the  inclosure  of  the  Stoa  of  Hadrian.  It 
was  a  great  quadrangle,  376  feet  long  and  252  broad,  with  a 
stout  wall  of  marble  surrounding  it.  Externally  the  face  was 
merely  supported  at  intervals  by  massive  buttresses,  except  on 
the  west,  where  a  stately  row  of  Corinthian  columns  still 
shows  that  this  was  the  principal  entrance.  Around  the 
court  on  the  inside  ran  a  broad  portico ;  and  the  court  itself 
was  perhaps  cultivated  as  a  garden.     It  contained  a  library' 


GATE    OF    TIIK    NEW     MARKKI'.  ()0 

and  other  buildings.  But  what  a  metamorphosis  has  the 
entire  structure  undergone!  The  whole  interior,  for  I  know 
not  how  long,  has  been  used  as  a  bazar.  The  quiet  retreat 
of  philosophers  is  the  most  noisy  pan  of  the  city ;  the  beauti- 
ful paintings  of  the  walls  are  defaced ;  the  costly  marbles  have 
disappeared.  "Where  the  library  stood  is  seen  an  unsightly 
clock-tower  erected  by  Lord  Elgin  himself,  as  a  sort  of  indem- 
nification, I  presume,  for  his  pilfering  from  the  Parthenon.  He 
has  chronicled  his  own  munificence  in  a  long  Latin  inscrip- 
tion, which  I  have  heard  the  more  educated  Gx'eeks  read  with 
the  greatest  indignation.  The  government  for  a  long  time 
has  been  talking  of  procuring  a  more  suitable  place  for  the 
market,  and  clearing  this  whole  area.  This  were  a  consum- 
mation much  to  be  desired.  As  it  was,  in  hunting  out  the 
spot  where  a  few  traces  of  the  inner  portico  were  said  to  re- 
main, I  was  obliged  to  make  my  way  through  a  butcher's 
shop,  and  past  the  heaps  of  new  hides  from  a  slaughter-house, 
to  a  place  where,  looking  into  a  dilapidated  hovel,  I  saw  thi-ee 
or  four  columns  supporting  an  architrave.  How  much  more 
remains  concealed,  will  only  appear  when  the  plan  of  the  gov- 
ernment is  put  into  execution. 

I  left  the  busy  scenes  of  the  market,  and  a  few  minutes 
after  found  myself  standing  l)efore  a  stately  portal  of  four  large 
marble  columns  of  the  Doric  oi'der.  The  precise  object  of 
this  solitary  monument  is  not,  at  first  sight,  quite  evident; 
but  it  has  been  pretty  well  settled  that  it  graced  the  entrance 
to  the  New  Market,  or  Agora.  This  was  not  the  space  de- 
voted to  the  purposes  of  trade  in  the  palmy  days  of  Athens ; 
for  that  covered  the  ground  south  of  the  Acropolis  and  Ai'eop- 
agus.  It  was  here,  however,  that  St.  Paul  was  in  the  habit 
of  engaging  in  discussion,  alike  with  the  learned  and  the  lowly. 
I  found  close  by  an  upright  slab  of  marble,  on  which  were  in- 
scribed the  prices  of  various  commodities  sold  in  the  market, 
as  regulated  by  an  ordinance  of  the  Emperor.  One  would 
think  that  with  so  strict  precautions  the  hucksters  could  find 
few  means  of  cheating  their  customers;  but  such  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  the  fact.  The  maximum  prices  of  many 
of  the  articles  would  furnish  a  striking  contrast  with  their 
value  in  money  at  the  present  dav. 


(iO  ANJKillTlKS    OP   THE    l.OWEK   TOWN. 

I  wished  next  to  find  my  way  to  the  Temple  of  Theseus ; 
and  for  this  purpose  followed  a  westerly  direction.  Passing 
through  what  was  once  perhaps  the  most  populous  portion  cf 
the  city,  I  could  find  but  few  remains.  One  of  small  extent 
is  attributed  to  the  Stoa  Pa'cile,  the  most  famous  of  all  the  por- 
ticoes of  which  Athens  could  boast.  A  room  in  it,  which  I 
entered  through  a  garden,  was  formerly  used  as  a  chapel ;  but 
has  now  been  degraded  into  a  store  for  all  manner  of  rubbish. 
Further  on  there  is  another  and  more  extensive  collection  of 
walls,  which,  from  their  construction  with  alternately  wide  and 
narrow  layers  of  stone,  are  known  to  have  been  erected  about 
the  Macedonian  epoch.  In  one  obscure  court  I  came  across 
a  statue  of  elegant  workmanship,  I'epresenting  a  Triton.  His 
well-shaped  body  is  terminated  by  a  scaly  tail  twisted  nearly 
up  to  his  head.  The  general  expression  is  one  of  suffering  and 
despair.  Hence  Pittakes  supposed  the  colossal  efiigy  to  have 
belonged  to  the  monument  of  Phorbas,  whom  Erechtheus 
wished  to  slay.* 

The  Theseum,  whose  serene  front  soon  appeared  over  the  top 
of  the  mud  walls  in  the  vicinity,  stands  upon  a  slight  eminence 
on  the  very  outskirts  of  Athens  toward  the  west.  More  per- 
fect outwardly  than  any  other  temple  extant,  it  gives  a  better 
notion  of  the  imposing  character  of  a  Grecian  shrine,  executed 
according  to  the  strictest  requirements  of  art.  It  has  under- 
gone little  change  since  the  day  of  its  foundation.  The  col- 
umns are  intact;  their  sharp  edges  occasionally  somewhat 
softened  down  by  the  wear  of  time,  and  a  stray  block  in  their 
lofty  shafts  moved  slightly  from  its  firm  foundation,  by  the  u'- 
resistible  force  of  repeated  earthquakes.  The  building  was 
considerably  smaller  than  the  Parthenon.  There  are  but  six 
columns  on  the  front  and  thirteen  on  the  sides.  Its  length  of 
one  hundred  and  four  feet  scarcely  exceeds  the  vddth  of  the 
Parthenon,  and  its  breadth  is  but  forty-five  feet.  Its  antiquity, 
however,  is  gi'eater  than  that  of  the  shrine  of  the  Acropolis,  and 
dates  as  far  back  as  465  B.C.  It  is  said  to  have  been  erected  to 
cover  the  bones  of  the  famous  hero  Theseus,  which  had  been  re- 
cently found  on  the  island  of  Scyrus,  and  had  been  brought  Avith 
superstitious  care  to  this  spot.  In  respect  to  sculpture,  the  Th^- 
*  L'Aiicienne  Athenes,  p.  95  (18.35). 


seum  presented  a  marked  contrast  to  the  richness  of  cTrnament 
that  loaded  every  available  part  of  the  Parthenon.  Of  the 
square  metopes  on  the  architrave  above  the  columns,  mei'ely 
those  of  the  fronts  were  adorned  Avith  works  of  the  chisel ;  on 
the  sides  they  were  quite  plain,  with  the  exception  of  those 
nearest  either  end.  I  found  a  porter  at  the  side  door  ready 
to  conduct  me  into  the  interior  of  the  temple.  In  the  present 
lack  of  a  grand  public  museum,  the  government  have  suffered 
this  edifice  to  be  turned  into  a  hall  for  the  reception  of  a  val- 
uable collection  of  statues  and  inscriptions.  Many  of  them 
ai-e  well  Avorthy  of  protracted  study.  I  Avas  more  particular- 
ly interested  in  a  slab  of  marble  carefully  preserved  under  a 
glass  cover.  It  was  recently  dug  up  on  the  site  of  a  small 
temple  at  Marathon,  and  from  the  name  of  the  artist  chiseled 
upon  it,  has  been  supposed  to  have  been  wrought  in  the  sixth 
or  seventh  century  before  Christ.  The  figure  represented  at 
fuU  length  is  in  low  relief,  and  the  execution  is  of  that  stifi" 
and  hard  character  which  belongs  to  the  infancy  of  art  in  ev- 
ery land.  Its  perfect  preservation  is  indeed  almost  a  miracle, 
considering  the  lapse  of  time. 


BAS-KEI,IEF  FEOM   THE  MOXrJIENT  OF  LY810RATES. 


HOBOLOGIUM   OF  ANDRONICUS    CYKRUESTES. 


CHAPTER  V. 


WALKS  ABOUT  ATHENS. 

On  Sundays,  and  especially  on  the  gi'eat  feasts  of  the  Church, 
the  streets  of  Athens  are  thronged  with  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, all  intent  upon  recreation.  At  such  times  the  shops  are 
closed,  and  business  transactions  suspended.  The  early  morn- 
ing is  spent  in  attendance  on  divine  service  ;  while  the  remain- 
der of  the  day  is  devoted  to  visits  or  amusements. 

The  2Gth  of  October  (Old  Style)  was  the  festival  of  St.  De- 
metrius— that  holy  man  who  acted  the  part  of  Lot  with  vari- 
ations. So,  at  least,  the  legendaries  Avould  have  us  believe. 
Once  upon  a  time,  say  they,  the  wickedness  of  Salonica  had 
risen  to  such  a  pitch,  as  to  render  its  destruction  imperatively 
necessary.  Angels  were  accordingly  dispatched  to  bear  intel- 
ligence to  the  saint,  then  sojourning  in  the  doomed  city,  and 
bid  him  depart  from  its  precincts.  Demetrius,  upon  hearing 
the  mandate,  begins  to  remonstrate  with  the  messengers,  and 
endeavors  to  persnade  tliem  to  spare  Salonica.      They  answer 


A    VISIT,  69 

that  this  is  quite  impossible:  they  have  express  commands. 
The  holy  man  stops  for  a  moment  to  reflect,  and  then  exclaims, 
"  I  shall  not  depart.  Go  tell  your  Blaster  that  he  must  not 
destroy  the  city  !"  Notwithstanding  the  peremptory  charac- 
ter of  the  instructions  they  have  received,  the  angels  dare  not 
execute  their  commission.  They  return,  and  Salonica  is 
spared !  Such  is  the  blasphemous  history  given  of  this  highly- 
esteemed  saint  in  the  Greek  legends. 

All  the  Athenians  who  happen  to  be  named  after  St.  Deme- 
trius, receive  the  visits  of  their  acquaintance  on  his  day ;  and 
these,  in  return,  are  honored  in  like  manner  on  the  festivals 
of  their  respective  patrons  in  the  calendar.  Falling  in  with 
the  custom,  I  walked  out  in  the  afternoon  with  a  few  friends, 
and  called  upon  Mr.  L.  at  his  house  in  Hermes  Street,  not  far 
from  the  solitary  date-palm,  so  conspicuous  an  object  in  this; 
part  of  the  town.  After  passing  through  a  narrow  court -yard, 
we  were  ushered  into  a  small  but  neatly-furnished  parlor. 
Our  host,  a  portly  Greek  of  five-and-forty,  rose  to  meet  us, 
and  received  Avith  smiling  countenance  our  congratulations  on 
his  continued  health  and  prosperity.  We  w^ere  invited  to  sit 
doANTi,  and  were  soon  engaged  in  agreeable  conversation.  The 
ladies  of  the  house  contributed  to  our  entertainment,  and,  be- 
fore the  termination  of  our  short  stay,  brought  in  some  refresh- 
ments. A  favorite  jai*  of  sweetmeats — a  curious  preserve  com- 
pounded solely  of  rose-leaves  and  sugar — was  offered  success- 
i^ely  to  each  person,  who  helped  himself  to  a  single  spoonful. 
By  most  persons  the  taste  is  considered  veiy  delicate  and  pleas- 
ant ;  while  others  think  that  the  flavor  of  the  flower  is  scarce- 
ly sufficiently  smothered  in  quadruple  the  weight  of  sugar. 
Being  forewarned,  I  limited  myself  to  the  usual  supply,  and 
thus  avoided  the  mistake  of  some  foreigners,  who  have  com- 
mitted the  unpardonable  offence  of  dipping  the  spoon  a  second 
time  into  the  common  jar.  After  tasting  the  rose  preserves 
each  guest  took  a  very  small  glass  of  Samian  wine,  or  a  tum- 
bler of  water,  as  his  inclination  or  his  principles  directed. 

From  the  house  of  our  Greek  friend  we  proceeded  to  the 
pubHc  promenade,  M-hich,  since  the  heat  had  diminished,  was 
every  evening  crowded  with  the  "  elite"  of  Athens.  The  prin- 
cipal walk  is  on  the  road  leading  northward  toward  the  village 


70  WALKS    ABOUT   ATHENS. 

of  Patissia — a  continuation  of^olus  Street.  Pedestrians  oc- 
cupy the  greater  part  of  the  hard  and  smooth  surface  of  this 
road,  scattering  upon  the  approach  of  any  vehicle.  It  is  also 
a  favorite  resort  of  the  king  and  queen,  who  may  be  seen  al- 
most any  afternoon  riding  out  on  horseback  in  this  du'ection, 
attended  by  a  few  guards.  Their  subjects  on  such  occasions 
stop  and  do  them  homage  as  they  pass,  and  receive  a  bow  in 
return.  A  stranger  need  not  be  astonished,  if,  when  be  meets 
the  royal  party  in  some  solitary  place,  he  is  honored  with  this 
mark  of  condescension  on  the  part  of  their  Hellenic  majesties. 
A  more  pleasant  spot  for  recreation  is  the  palace  garden,  to 
which  I  repeatedly  gained  access  by  permission  of  one  of  the 
king's  adjutants.  Its  grounds  are  tastefully  laid  out  with 
handsome  walks  and  shrubbery,  and  the  cultivated  flowers  are 
mostly  the  same  as  those  that  are  favorites  with  us.  In  the 
midst  of  a  labyrinth  on  the  southern  side  is  a  small  pond,  whose 
surface  is  covered  with  the  gigantic  leaves  of  the  Victoria  regi- 
na — the  monster  water-lily  of  the  tropics.  The  climate  seems 
to  be  well  adapted  to  its  development ;  but  I  am  not  aware 
of  its  having  flowered  as  yet.  That  this  ground  was  once  in- 
cluded within  the  populous  portion  of  the  city,  is  evident  from 
the  discovery  of  a  number  of  antiquities.  In  one  part  of  the 
garden  a  mosaic  floor,  by  far  the  most  perfect  of  its  kind  at 
Athens,  was  uncovered  a  few  years  ago,  and  is  now  protected 
by  an  arbor  densely  shaded  by  varieties  of  beautiful  creepers. 
It  is  long  and  irregular  in  shape,  and  in  an  excellent  state  of 
preservation.  Aquatic  birds  and  other  unmistakable  symbols 
show  that  it  was  the  floor  of  some  elegant  private  bath  at- 
tached to  the  villa  of  a  rich  Athenian  citizen.  Not  far  from 
this  mosaic  are  the  prostrate  columns  of  a  small  temple,  whose 
foundations  are  seen  close  by.  Just  beyond  the  fence  on  the 
east  a  long  arched  channel  was  found  a  few  months  after  my 
arrival ;  but  I  have  heard  no  satisfactory  solution  of  its  use. 
The  land-owners  in  the  vicinity  of  the  royal  grounds  have  ev- 
ery thing  to  fear  from  their  gradual  enlargement.  It  has  even 
been  proposed  to  extend  their  limits  to  the  banks  of  the  lUssus, 
and  take  in  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  Olympius  itself;  but  as  this 
would  include  one  of  the  most  popular  resorts  of  the  Atheni- 
ans, the  project  was  abandoned  as  infeasible. 


COSTUMES    OF    THE    ATHENIANS.  71 

The  picturesque  costumes  of  the  Greeks — so  different  from 
those  of  other  countries — give  a  strange  liveliness  to  the  scene 
on  the  promenade.  Many  of  the  gentlemen  have  adopted  the 
common  European  dress ;  but  the  rest  cling  to  that  which  their 
ancestors  have  worn  for  ages.  The  higher  class  usually  wear 
the  Albanian  costume,  consisting  of  a  tight  vest,  and  over  this 
a  short  coat  with  the  sleeves  slit  and  hanging  loosely  from  the 
elbow.  From  the  waist,  a  white  skirt,  or  fustanella,  reaches 
to  the  knees,  and  is  confined  to  its  place  by  a  wide  sash  or  gir- 
dle. By  the  Greeks  of  the  old  school  a  very  slender  waist  is 
esteemed  the  greatest  point  of  beauty  in  a  man  ;  and  some  are 
said  to  draw  the  sash  so  tightly,  that  after  the  lapse  of  years 
it  becomes  painful  to  loosen  it  even  at  night. 

Most  of  the  lower  class  retain  the  nautical  trowsers,  differ- 
ing from  the  Turkish  in  that,  whereas  the  latter  have  a  bag 
for  each  leg,  in  the  former  both  legs  are  thrust  through  one 
large  blue  sack  in  such  a  way  that  the  greater  part  remains 
flapping  behind.  With  this  dress,  a  thick  gii'dle,  or  some- 
times a  broad  leathern  belt  is  substituted  for  the  sash.  The 
belt  is  made  a  general  receptacle  for  pistols  and  daggers,  whose 
projecting  handles  give  the  stranger  an  impression  of  insecurity, 
augmented  by  the  fierce  countenances  of  those  that  carry  them. 
On  the  promenade,  as  well  as  in  society,  the  Greek  generally 
carries  a  string  of  beads,  frequently  of  large  size,  which  a 
stranger  would  naturally  mistake  for  a  rosary,  until  informed 
that  it  has  no  religious  significance.  In  fact,  it  is  only  a  play- 
thing to  occupy  the  fingers,  while  the  mind  and  lips  are  busy 
with  something  else.  When  engaged  in  calm  conversation, 
the  beads  pass  slowly  through  the  fingers ;  but  as  the  speaker 
becomes  more  and  more  heated  in  debate,  their  motion  in- 
creases in  rapidity.  Playing  with  his  beads,  which  are  apt  to 
distract  the  attention  of  a  foreigner,  thus  comes  to  facilitate 
the  utterance  of  a  Greek ;  and  even  a  public  speaker  does  not 
disdain  to  make  use  of  them  in  his  forensic  efforts. 

The  ladies  are  gradually  abandoning  their  peculiar  provin- 
cial attire ;  and  if  now  and  then  the  graceful  Smyrniote,  or 
the  odd  Hydriote  dress  is  met  with,  it  is  much  more  rare  than 
the  French  fasliion.  Not  unfrequently  a  lady  will  take  a  half- 
way course,  and  continue  to  wear  the  red  fezi,  or  cap,  such 


72  AVALKS    ABOUT    ATHENS. 

as  is  worn  by  the  men.  Set  negligently  on  the  head,  with  its 
long  blue  tassel  hanging  down  on  one  side,  it  gives  the  female 
face  too  boyish  a  look  to  be  becoming. 

In  the  midst  of  the  crowd,  the  priests  may  readily  be  detect- 
ed by  their  long  black  robes  reaching  to  the  feet,  and  their 
large  caps  of  the  same  color.  Another  distinctive  mark  of  the 
order  is  their  long  hair,  gathered  up  under  their  caps,  and 
their  long  and  flowing  beards.  A  youth  who  contemplates 
embracing  a  monastic  or  priestly  life,  begins  his  preparation 
by  allowing  his  hair  to  grow  for  a  year  or  two. 

It  is  said  that  in  some  portions  of  the  peninsula  of  Maina, 
the  southernmost  part  of  Laceda;monia,  it  was  customary  for 
the  men  to  suffer  their  beards  to  gi'ow,  until  they  had  revenged 
themselves  for  any  injury  they  might  have  received.  In  the 
midst  of  the  civil  feuds  which  rent  that  unhappy  district,  this 
practice  was  adopted  as  a  badge  to  indicate  a  thirst  for  re- 
venge.* A  singular,  but  I  believe  an  authentic  instance  of 
this  custom  was  seen  in  the  following  occurrence,  some  twenty 
years  since.  When  the  President,  Capo  d'Istria,  on  a  certain 
visit  to  Maina,  was  entertained  in  one  of  the  villages,  he  no- 
ticed an  individual  sitting  at  the  further  end  of  the  same 
room ;  a  man  of  gloomy  and  forbidding  aspect,  with  long  hair 
and  unshaven  face,  who  seemed  to  shun  all  intercourse  with 
those  around.  Calling  him,  the  President  asked  him  whether 
he  was  a  candidate  for  orders ;  and  the  man  replied  that  he 
was  not.  "What  are  you  then?" — "What  you  have  made 
me,"  was  the  reply.  The  stranger  proceeded  to  say  that,  a 
few  months  before,  his  son  had  been  killed  in  a  private  quar- 
rel.    According  to  immemorial  custom,  it  became  his  duty  to 

*  This  pr.iftice  is  the  more  interesting,  from  the  fact  that  Herodotus 
tells  us  of  a  similar  usage  among  the  ancient  Peloponnesians.  In  a  bat- 
tle between  the  Argives  and  Spartans,  the  former  were  routed,  and  lost 
the  important  town  of  Thyrere.  "From  this  time,"  says  the  historian, 
"the  Argives  cut  their  hair  short  (for  formerly  they  wore  long  hair,  ac- 
cording to  fixed  custom),  and  made  a  law,  enforced  by  a  curse,  that  no 
Argive  should  wear  long  hair,  nor  the  women  deck  themselves  with  gold 
ornaments,  until  they  should  regain  Thyrea?.  But  the  Laceda;monians, 
on  the  contrary,  passed  a  law  ordaining  that,  although  previously  it  had 
not  been  their  custom  to  wear  long  hair,  thev  should  do  so  thenceforth." 
ri.  82.) 


LONG    HAIK    WOKN    FOR    REVENGE.  73 

slay  the  murderer ;  but  from  doing  this  he  was  prevented  by 
the  new  laws  introduced  under  the  President's  administration. 
He  had,  therefore,  waited  for  justice  to  be  done  him  ;  but 
months  had  elapsed,  and  yet  the  murderer  was  at  large. 
"  Now,"  added  he,  "  if  within  forty  days  I  am  not  avenged,  1 
shall  take  the  law  into  my  own  hands."  The  President  prom- 
ised to  attend  to  the  matter,  even  though  much  blood  might 
be  spilled  in  capturing  the  culprit.  But  after  his  departure, 
he  forgot  his  promise,  and  so  nothing  was  done.  Two  months 
after,  the  injured  man  went  stealthily  to  his  enemy's  house, 
and  killed,  not  only  him,  but  four  others  of  his  family.  He 
then  sat  down,  and  penned  a  letter  to  Count  Capo  d'Istria, 
somewhat  to  this  effect :  "  I  have  waited  not  only  forty,  but 
sixty  days,  and  no  justice  has  been  done  me.  I  have  now  tak- 
en my  revenge  Avith  interest."  The  perpetrator  of  the  bloody 
deed  was  yet  alive  a  few  years  since. 

The  influence  of  Oriental  notions  of  propriety  is  observable 
in  the  restraints  put  upon  the  freedom  of  the  gentler  sex.  A 
lady  is  thought  to  have  broken  all  rules  of  decorum  when  she 
ventures  out  alone  into  the  streets,  even  at  mid-day.  A  stout 
man-servant  must  follow  to  protect  her ;  or,  at  least,  she  must 
be  accompanied  by  a  trusty  maid.  There  is  much  of  the  old 
Grecian  feeling  in  this :  for  in  Athens  "  no  respectable  lady 
thought  of  going  out  without  a  female  slave  ;  and  the  husband 
always  assigned  one  to  his  wife.  At  a  later  date  the  number 
of  these  attendants  Avas  greatly  increased."* 

The  dwelling-houses  in  Athens  are  of  a  character  much  su- 
perior to  those  of  the  rural  districts  and  towns.  True,  the  old 
portion  surrounding  the  base  of  the  Acropolis  has  been  rebuilt 
on  a  plan  very  similar  to  that  of  the  town  before  the  Rev- 
olution ;  every  wall  that  had  not  been  ruined  in  that  dis- 
astrous period  was  put  to  use  by  the  returning  citizens :  and 
such  was  the  scarcity  of  timber  of  suitable  size,  that  the 
houses  were  necessarily  constructed  of  a  long  and  narrow 
shape.  But  the  greater  part  of  the  city  has  since  been  erected 
in  a  more  symmetrical  manner.  Unfortunately,  three  or  four 
plans  were  successively  submitted  to  the  government,  and  in 
turn  adopted.  Any  one  of  them  would  have  made  Athens  a 
*  Becker's  Charicles.  p.  469. 
D 


74  WALKS   ABOUT    ATHENS. 

finely  laid-out  city.  Scarcely,  however,  had  the  Athenians 
begun  to  rebuild  their  houses  in  conformity  with  one  plan, 
before  it  was  replaced  by  another.  The  palace  of  the  king 
was  the  single  point  whence  all  the  principal  avenues  must 
radiate ;  and  the  palace,  according  to  one  plan,  was  to  be  sit- 
uated on  the  high  ground  toward  the  Cephissus  ;  and,  accord- 
ing to  another,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  city.  The  citizens 
were  read}'^  to  chant  a  Jubilate,  when  at  length  their  doubts 
were  removed,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the  regal  mansion  was 
laid  with  great  pomp  on  a  third  site,  near  the  banks  of  the 
River  Ilissus. 

All  these  adverse  circumstances  have  not  prevented  the 
N'eiv  Town,  as  it  is  called,  from  presenting  a  very  comely  ap- 
pearance :  and  numbers  of  costly  edifices,  public  and  private, 
are  continually  I'ising.  One  of  these  gave  the  people  a  fine  oc- 
casion for  indulging  in  bitter  sarcasm.  The  owner,  a  former 
member  of  the  king's  cabinet,  had  been  noted  for  the  peculiar 
facility  with  which  an  office  could  be  obtained  from  him,  by 
any  one  that  was  able  to  cross  his  hand  with  gold.  To  satisfy 
his  vanity,  the  ex-minister  inscribed  his  initials  P.  D.  on  the 
front  of  his  palatial  residence.  But  the  people,  supposing  them 
to  denote  the  source  whence  his  wealth  was  obtained,  chose  to 
read  them  proxenica  dora — that  is,  "  consular  bribes" — instead 
of  simple  Peter  Deliannis. 

In  every  house  great  precautions  are  adopted  against  rob- 
beries. These  a  few  years  since  were  frequently  committed. 
A  band  of  ten  or  fifteen  robbers  has  been  known  to  enter  one 
of  the  largest  houses  in  the  city,  by  the  connivance  of  the  por- 
ter, and  to  plunder  it  of  all  its  valuables.  The  poorer  class 
of  houses  are  entered  with  comparative  ease.  One  of  these 
— a  small  shop  at  the  corner  of  the  next  street  to  my  resi- 
dence— was  one  morning  found  rifled  of  a  small  amount  of 
money  that  had  been  left  in  the  drawer.  But  instead  of  break- 
ing through  the  thick  door,  the  robber  had  effected  an  entrance 
by  digging  a  hole  in  the  wall,  which  he  had  found  the  easier 
task  of  the  two.  This  little  incident  brought  forcibly  to  my 
mind  the  passage  of  Holy  Writ — "In  the  dark  they  dig 
through  houses,  which  they  had  marked  out  in  the  daytime." 
Allusion  to  the  same  insecurity  of  eai'then  walls  is  made  in 


POSITION    OV    THE    FEMALE    SEX.  75 

the  description  of  houses  (as  it  reads  in  the  original),  "  where 
thieves  dig  through  and  steal ;"  and  in  the  remarkable  passage 
where  the  prophet  Ezekiel  is  represented  as  conveying  his 
goods  out,  through  a  hole  that  he  had  made  in  the  wall  of  his 
own  house. 

Our  modern  ideas  of  gallantry  are  gi-eatly  shocked  by  the 
open  disparagement  of  the  female  sex,  characteristic  of  Greek 
society.  The  birth  of  a  daughter  is  as  much  a  subject  of  con- 
dolence, as  the  birth  of  a  son  is  one  of  congratulation.  A  for- 
eign resident  at  Athens,  the  father  of  a  large  family  of  girls, 
is  looked  upon  by  his  neighbors  as  the  most  unlucky  of  men. 
They  wonder  at  his  failure  to  appreciate  their  sympathy.  A 
story  is  told  of  an  Athenian,  who  had  set  his  heart  on  obtain- 
ing a  son  to  perpetuate  his  name.  Upon  learning  the  disap- 
pointment of  his  expectations,  he  endeavored  to  conceal  his 
chagrin,  and  shame  also,  in  the  grove  of  the  Cephissus ;  where 
he  skulked  for  three  days,  before  he  could  regain  sufficient  as- 
surance to  meet  his  acquaintance.  The  anecdote  may  be  some- 
what exaggerated ;  but  the  fact  that  such  feelings  exist  can 
not  be  doubted. 

This  remarkable  preference  of  the  male  sex  is  somewhat  ac- 
counted for,  by  the  prevalence  of  the  custom  of  giving  a  large 
dowry  with  a  daughter  at  marriage.  In  Maina  alone  the  re- 
verse is  true  :  the  husband  purchases  his  bride  at  a  heavy 
cost.  Elsewhere  a  portion  of  the  family  estate  must  be  sac- 
rificed at  the  marriage  of  each  daughter ;  and  he  who  is  able  or 
willing  to  give  most,  is  generally  sure  of  seeing  his  daughters 
first  established  in  life.  Such  is  the  mercenary  light  in  which 
the  marriage  relation  is  regarded.  Qualities  of  mind  are  but 
little  taken  into  account.  Nor  is  it  considered  an  objection  of 
any  moment  that  the  parties  to  the  contract  be  totally  vm- 
acquainted  with  each  other's  characters  and  tastes.  Since 
the  lady's  consent  is  altogether  unessential,  her  preferences 
are  not  necessarily  consulted.  The  father's  great  concern  is 
to  marry  off  his  daughter  at  as  small  a  loss  as  possible ;  that 
of  the  suitor,  to  obtain  the  most  advantageous  match.  Mon- 
ey being  the  chief  object  on  either  side,  the  unfortunate  maid- 
en is  apt  to  fare  badly  between  the  two.  Hence  the  fi-equency 
of  ill-sorted  marriages — a  fruitful  source  of  domestic  misery. 


76 


WALKS    ABOUT    ATHENS. 


The  wife  who  has  been  forced  into  so  unfortunate  a  union,  is 
not  free  even  from  abuse  and  corporal  chastisement ;  of  the 
prevalence  of  which  we  need  no  stronger  proof  than  is  afford- 
ed by  the  frequent  allusions  to  it  in  the  proverbs  most  current 
among  the  people. 


ETJINS  OF  THE  TEHFLK  OP  THE  OLtMPIAN  JOVE. 


TTNIVEUSITy    OF   OTUO,  AT  ATHENS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

STUDENT-LIFE  IX  ATHENS. 

"Let  those  that  will  believe  it:  I,  for  one, 
Can  not  thus  read  the  history  of  my  kind : 
Eemembering  all  this  little  Greece  has  done 
To  raise  the  universal  human  mind." 

MiLXES. 

It  may  sound  strange  and  incongruous  to  many  an  ear  to 
talk  of  education  and  literature  in  connection  with  modem 
Greece.  We  have  been  wont  to  think  of  the  Greeks  as  the 
most  barbarous  and  illiterate  nation  of  Europe.  We  began 
by  ignoring  the  natural  consequences  of  long  ages  of  servitude, 
and  expected  them  to  emerge  from  the  slime  Avith  a  robe  of 
unsullied  brilliancy.  Having  been  disappointed  in  our  unrea- 
sonable anticipations,  we  have  long  since  ceased  to  take  any 
account  of  their  struggles  in  the  path  of  improvement.  The 
wonderful  development  that  popular  education  has  undergone 
is  unknown  to  most ;  and  few  are  aAvare  of  the  existence  of 
any  schools  of  learning  that  will  favorably  compare  with  our 
own.  "When,  therefore,  I  say  that  the  University  of  Otho  at 
Athens  possesses  at  least  as  many  students,  and  twice  as  large 
a  corps  of  professors,  as  the  largest  of  our  colleges,  I  am  stat- 
ing a  fact  that  may  excite  some  surprise. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  at  Athens  I  was  desirous  of  visit- 


78  STUDENT-LIFE    IN    ATHENS. 

ing  the  University,  and  making  some  inquiries  as  to  the  course 
of  instruction.  I  had  long  intended  to  avail  myself  of  the 
public  lectures  as  the  most  convenient  means  of  accustom- 
ing the  ear  to  the  sound  of  the  modern  language  when  spoken 
in  its  greatest  purity.  In  company  with  Dr.  King,  who  had 
promised  to  introduce  me  to  some  of  the  more  distinguished 
professors,  I  walked  thither  one  morning  at  about  ten  o'clock. 
The  winter  term  had  not  yet  commenced,  after  a  long  vaca- 
tion of  four  months,  from  June  to  October.  Although  the 
regular  day  for  opening  was  close  at  hand,  only  a  few  stu- 
dents were  to  be  seen  in  the  halls.  The  spell  of  summer  con- 
tinued as  yet  unbroken  by  a  single  refreshing  shower;  and 
neither  professors  nor  students  were  in  any  way  anxious  to 
recommence  their  occupations  until  the  opjjressive  heat  should 
have  somewhat  abated. 

The  edifice  is  spacious,  and  by  no  means  faulty  in  pomt  of 
taste.  Though  built  in  the  form  of  an  H,  only  one  of  the  two 
main  portions  is  entirely  finished  and  in  use.  The  eifect  of 
the  structure  is  good,  but  suffers  in  dignity  from  the  lowness 
of  the  roof,  contrasted  with  the  size  of  the  building.  The 
principal  front  is  said  to  be  constructed  in  imitation  of  one  of 
the  galleries  of  the  Erechtheum.  A  wide  portico  runs  almost 
the  entire  length,  and  is  supported  by  short  pillars  resting 
upon  a  high  wall  that  half  incloses  it.  The  entrance  is  be- 
tween two  large  Ionic  columns  of  fine  Pentelican  marble  pre- 
sented by  the  king. 

In  the  secretary's  ofllice  we  found  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Dokos, 
and  one  of  the  most  distinguished  professors,  Constantine  Aso- 
pius.  He  is  an  elderly  man,  some  seventy  years  of  age,  I 
should  judge.  Born  at  Jannina,  in  Epirus,  he  studied  there 
under  the  best  teachers.  Next  he  taught  school  for  the  Greek 
residents  of  Trieste.  Lord  Gilford — whose  memory  to  this 
day  is  held  in  grateful  honor  by  many  Greeks,  not  only  for  his 
personal  kindness,  but  on  account  of  the  lively  interest  he  en- 
tertained in  the  whole  nation — appreciated  his  fine  abilities, 
and  sent  him  at  his  own  expense  to  perfect  his  education  in 
Germany,  France,  and  England.  On  his  return  he  appointed 
him  teacher  of  Greek  philology  in  the  Ionian  Academy.* 
*  A.  Soutsos,  Panoi'.ini.a  of  Greece.  Part  II..  p.  7(>. 


UNIVERSITY    LIBRAKV,  79 

When  the  University  was  founded  at  Athens,  Asopius  was 
called  thither  to  fill  a  similar  chair.  He  enjoys  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  perhaps  the  best  living  philologist  among  thc^ 
Greeks ;  and  his  learning  is  by  no  means  confined  to  a  single 
department.  A  fine  intellectual  head,  and  a  face  indicative  ol 
that  rare  attainment — a  placid  old  age,  rufiled  by  no  impatient 
or  peevish  disposition — attract  the  admiration  and  affection  of 
all  the  students.  In  their  welfare  Professor  Asopius  takes  a 
warm  interest ;  nor  is  there  any  one  of  whom  the  student  is 
more  ready  to  ask  counsel.  It  may,  indeed,  be  remarked  that 
in  general  the  coldness  and  hauteur  which  mark  the  relation 
of  teacher  and  pupil  in  many  of  our  institutions  is  here  re- 
placed by  a  friendly  and  even  familiar  intercourse.  Professor 
Asopius  was  evidently  pleased  at  the  idea  that  an  American 
had  come  to  Athens  to  find  out  what  facilities  this  city  attbrd- 
ed  to  those  who  wished  to  gain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  both 
ancient  and  modern  Greek.  He  expressed  the  hope  that  I 
might  be  only  the  forerunner  of  a  multitude  of  American 
scholars,  and  cordially  invited  me  to  his  lecture-room.  His 
lectures  on  the  Odyssey,  and  on  philology,  and  the  history  of 
the  Greek  poets,  are  held  in  high  esteem.  I  began  to  attend 
them  as  soon  as  they  commenced  ;  but  the  indistinct  utterance 
of  the  speaker  is  a  difficulty  which  meets  one  at  the  very 
threshold. 

The  library  was  the  only  part  of  the  building  that  was 
open  to  inspection.  It  took  me  quite  by  surprise.  I  had  an- 
ticipated seeing  at  most  a  few  thousand  books.  The  librarian, 
jSIr.  G.  Typaldus,  informed  me  that  there  were  not  less  than 
70,000  volumes,  and  that  the  annual  increase  was  six  or  eight 
thousand.  Nor  does  it  consist  of  works  of  small  value  or  merit. 
As  far  as  my  subsequent  observation  went,  the  selection  seemed 
to  be  excellent ;  while  some  works — such  as  Napoleon's  Expe- 
dition cVEgijpte — are  rare  and  costly.  In  the  English  depart- 
ment, however,  the  library  is  singularly  incomplete ;  and  with 
the  exception  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute's  "Contributions  to 
Knowledge"  (of  which  the  set  is  defective),  there  are  no  Ameri- 
can publications  of  importance.  This  rapid  rise  of  a  collection 
of  books  which  equals,  if  it  does  not  exceed,  any  similar  one 
in  the  United  States,  is  the  more  astonishing  as  the  outlay  of 


yU  STUDENT-i.IFE    IN    ATHKNsJ. 

money  has  been  very  small.  Most  of  the  additions  have  been 
by  gifts  of  w^ealthy  Greeks,  and  foreigners,  among  -whom  I  am 
sorry  not  to  be  able  to  mention  the  names  of  any  American 
benefactors. 

From  the  library  yve  walked  a  short-  distance  to  the  house 
of  Neophytus  Bambas.  An  old  vsroman  answered  our  knock  ; 
and  on  asking  for  the  kyrios,  we  were  conducted  through  a  cor- 
ridor to  a  small  back  room,  where  we  found  Professor  Bam- 
bas. He  recognized  Dr.  King  at  once,  and  set  about  finding 
us  chairs  to  sit  down.  A  Grreek  student's  room  is  not  usually 
well  provided  with  such  furniture ;  but  by  the  moving  of  a 
number  of  books  and  piles  of  manuscript,  seats  were  provided, 
while  the  worthy  Professor  found  a  place  for  himself  on  the 
edge  of  a  cot  that  occupied  a  corner  of  the  room.  One  or 
two  students,  friends  of  his,  who  attended  him  as  did  the  dis- 
ciples of  the  ancient  philosophers,  stood  just  withiu  the  door, 
listening  respectfully  to  our  conversation.  Professor  Bambas 
was  a  short  old  man,  with  white  hair,  and  long  flowing  beard, 
dressed  in  the  monastic  costume.  His  tone  in  conversation 
was  distinct,  but  somewhat  nasal.  For  the  past  thirty  or 
forty  years  he  had  occupied  a  distinguished  rank  among  the 
scholars  of  Greece,  and  he  was  a  friend  and  contemporary  of 
the  great  Coray.  A  native  of  Scio,  so  far  back  as  181G,  after 
completing  his  studies  at  Paris,  he  taught  in  the  Lyceum  of 
his  native  city.  In  1821  he  joined  the  standard  of  Demetrius 
Ypsilantis,  and  for  a  single  year  followed  a  soldier's  profession. 
But  he  soon  abandoned  an  occupation  so  foreign  to  his  inclin- 
ations, and  retired  to  Cephallenia,  and  thence  to  Corfu,  to  oc- 
cupy the  chair  of  Philosophy.  I  was  the  more  interested  in 
him  as  having  been  associated  with  Rev.  Mr.  Lowndes  and 
Mr.  Nicolaides,  of  Philadelphia,  in  Asia  Minor,  in  translating 
the  Bible  into  modern  Greek.  The  translation  was  made  at 
the  expense  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  It  was 
at  first  opposed  by  many  natives  on  the  ground  that  the  lan- 
guage was  so  nearly  the  same  as  to  render  a  version  quite  un- 
necessary. But  the  educated  laity  will  now  readily  concede  that 
the  Scriptures  must  remain  a  dead  letter  to  the  people  until 
they  are  supplied  with  it  in  an  easier  idiom  than  the  original 
text,  or  the  Septuagint.     A  second  edition  has,  however,  been 


NEOPHYTLS    BAJUBAS.  81 

gi-eatly  altered,  so  as  to  exclude  many  vulgarisms  whose  in- 
troduction seemed  unavoidable  in  the  first,  and  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  improved  state  of  the  language.  It  is  to  be  regret- 
ted that  of  late  years  Professor  Bambas  has  shown  a  disposition 
to  stand  aloof  from  tlie  liberal  movements  both  in  Church  and 
State.  During  the  invasion  of  Turkish  territory  he  was 
among  the  prominent  advocates  of  that  ill-starred  measure. 

While  we  were  conversing  a  visitor  was  announced,  who 
proved  to  be  my  friend  the  Sciote  merchant,  Mr.  A.  He  had 
come  to  revive  old  reminiscences  and  forgotten  acquaintance. 
He  was  once  a  pupil  of  Bambas  in  Scio,  where  he  learned  the 
first  rudiments  of  knowledge,  at  a  time  when  his  native  island 
was  still  the  garden  of  the  Archipelago.  The  master  and  pu- 
pil had  not  met  since  that  fearful  massacre  which  sent  every 
family  into  mourning  for  the  greater  part  of  its  members. 
Bambas  did  not  know  but  that  the  boy  had  fallen  a  victim  to 
the  devouring  sword,  or  lingered  only  to  meet  the  more  appall- 
ing doom  of  perpetual  servitude.  The  scene  was  truly  touch- 
ing, when  the  old  man  learned  from  his  OAvn  lips  the  merchant's 
name.  He  threw  his  arms  affectionately  around  his  former 
scholar's  neck,  and  his  flowing  silvery  locks  mingled  with  the 
young  man's  darker  hair  as  he  kissed  him,  in  true  Oriental 
style,  on  either  cheek.  Then  came  a  host  of  questions  to  be 
answered  by  each  party — of  friends  long  lost,  of  acquaintances 
in  foreign  lands,  and  of  their  own  personal  history.  I  felt  that 
my  presence  would  tend  to  mar  the  interest  of  the  interview, 
and  I  rose  to  leave  with  a  cordial  invitation  to  come  often  to 
the  Professor's  sanctum.  I  regret  to  be  obliged  to  chronicle 
the  recent  death  of  Neophytus  Bambas — an  event  which  de- 
prived Greece  of  an  honest  and  intelligent  man  whom  she 
could  ill  spare,  and  of  one  who  had  always  endeavored  to  serve 
his  country  to  the  best  of  his  knowledge. 

The  number  of  students  in  attendance  upon  the  University 
was  daily  increasing,  and  in  about  a  week  the  various  courses 
of  lectures  were  successively  commenced.  Meanwhile  I  had 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  some  more  professors.  Among 
them  were  INIr.  Eangabes,  who  unites  the  apparently  incom- 
patible qualities  necessarj^  for  the  pursuit  of  archaeology  and 
the  more  graceful  culture  of  the  muse ;  iNIr.  Benthvlns  of  the 

r>-2 


82  STUDENT-MFK    IN    ATHENS. 

Philosophical  School;  and  Mr.  Manousis,  lecturer  on  Univers- 
al History.  The  latter,  as  I  subsequently  learned,  is  partic- 
ularly obnoxious  to  the  English,  and  to  those  who  espouse 
their  side,  for  the  violence  Avith  which  he  attacked  them  dur- 
ing the  differences  between  the  British  and  Hellenic  govern- 
ments in  1850. 

I  found  no  difficulty  in  augmenting  my  circle  of  friends 
among  the  students,  whose  warm  reception  at  once  set  me  at 
ease  with  them.  There  are  no  dormitories  within  the  Uni- 
versity, or  Panepistemion ;  the  students  consequently  lodge  in 
various  quarters  of  the  town.  Their  rooms  are  generally 
shared  between  two  occupants ;  and  as  the  most  of  them  are 
in  reduced  circumstances,  the  stock  of  furniture  and  books  is 
very  small.  This  fact,  however,  attracts  little  notice  at  Ath- 
ens, from  the  rarity  of  large  fortunes,  and  the  simple  style  of 
living.  The  salaries  of  the  employes  of  the  government  are 
singularly  low — so  low,  indeed,  as  to  be  utterly  insufficient 
for  the  maintenance  of  a  respectable  appearance,  without  the 
means  derived  from  peculation  and  bribery.  Yet  the  profess- 
ors of  the  University,  most  of  whom  are  single  men,  without 
the  exercise  of  any  uncommon  degree  of  frugality,  contrive  to 
live  on  salaries  of  six  hundred  dollars  a  year,  and  even  to  save 
some  part  of  that  sum :  and  even  with  such  paltry  emoluments, 
it  is  the  highest  ambition  of  numbers  of  young  Greeks  to  occu- 
py a  chair  in  that  institution. 

The  Athenian  student  always  takes  his  meals  at  the  eating- 
house,  and  his  fare  is  simple  and  wholesome.  The  warmth  of 
the  climate  reduces  the  necessity  and  relish  for  animal  food, 
which  rarely  appears  on  the  table  in  any  considerable  quanti- 
ty, except  at  Easter.  On  that  great  festival,  the  most  august 
of  the  year,  it  is  a  universal  and  immemorial  custom  to  have 
a  whole  lamb  roasted  in  every  family.  There  is  no  one  so 
poor  within  the  realm  as  to  be  unable  to  have  some  part  in 
the  gayety  and  good  cheer  to  which  the  day  is  devoted.  On 
other  occasions  the  only  recreation  that  the  student  takes  con- 
sists in  a  visit  to  the  theatre,  or  a  Avalk  on  the  public  prome- 
nade with  a  friend.  He  will  then  invariably  insist  upon  ac- 
companying him  to  the  cafe  to  partake  of  the  rahat-lakoumi,  a 
Turkish  sweetmeat  deservedly  popular  throughout  the  East. 


GREEK    PROFESSORS.  bo 

In  imitation  of  the  German  plan,  the  University  is  composed 
of  four  distinct  Schools — those  of  Theology,  Law,  Medicine, 
and  Philosophy.  The  whole  number  of  professors  whose 
names  appear  on  the  progTamme  of  studies  published  soon 
after  my  arrival,  was  forty-six  ;  of  Avhom  twenty-five  were  or- 
dinary professors,  and  the  remainder  extraordinary,  honorary, 
and  adjunct ;  the  distinction  consisting  merely  in  the  differ- 
ence of  the  emolument  they  enjoyed,  and  not  in  the  character 
of  their  instruction.  All  these  gentlemen  are  native  Greeks, 
with  the  single  exception  of  Professor  Landerer,  who  has  long 
resided  in  the  country,  and  is  a  naturalized  citizen.  One  of 
the  faculty  is  annually  elected  by  his  associates  as  Pi-ytanis, 
or  President ;  but  the  powers  attached  to  this  honorable  post 
are  very  limited,  and  extend  little  farther  than  the  delivery  of 
an  oration  at  the  yearly  Commencement  in  June.  The  Pry- 
tanis  of  the  previous  year  had  been  the  Archimandrite  Misael 
Apostolides  of  the  Theological  School,  a  man  of  talent  and 
high  attainments,  but  thoroughly  wedded  to  the  Russian  par- 
ty. He  was  now  to  be  succeeded  by  Mr.  Pellicas,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  jurists  and  law  professors  of  Greece. 

The  distribution  of  instructors  in  the  several  departments 
was  exceedingly  unequal ;  as  likewise  that  of  the  hours  de- 
voted weekly  to  the  branches  of  study.  In  Theology  the  three 
professors  gave  but  fifteen  hours  of  instruction ;  while  in  Law 
there  were  eleven  professors  and  upward  of  forty  lectures  ;  in 
Medicine  twelve  professors  and  between  sixty  and  seventy  lec- 
tures ;  and  in  Philosophy  and  the  kindred  studies  twenty  pro- 
fessors and  eighty-two  lectures.  The  total  number  of  lectures 
delivered  within  the  compass  of  a  week  was,  consequently, 
more  than  two  hundred,  embracing  eveiy  department  of  sci- 
ence and  art.  There  is  a  similar  inequality  with  respect  to 
the  apportionment  of  students  in  attendance.  Of  397  regu- 
larly matriculated  students,  during  a  previous  year,  242  were 
studying  medicine,  86  law,  62  philosophy,  and  only  7  theology. 
And  though  the  number  had  now  increased  to  455,  the  same 
inequality  was  still  observable.  Besides  these  students  who 
were  inscribed  on  the  books,  and  who  expected  to  pursue  a 
regular  course  of  study  (the  j'^hcetetce),  there  were  at  least  three 
iiundred  more  attending  certain  branches  with  greater  or  less 


84  STTJDENT-LIFE    IN    ATHENS. 

regularity  for  a  year  or  two,  who  receive  the  designation  of 
acroatce,  or  "listeners."  The  number  of  students  may,  there- 
fore, be  safely  set  down  at  750,  without  including  those  who 
occasionally  fi-equent  the  lecture-room  as  they  find  time.  It 
is  a  cu'cumstance  well  worth  the  noticing,  that  rather  more 
than  one  half  of  the  matriculated  students  are  from  districts 
under  the  rule  of  the  Sultan.  Thus  "  Free  Greece,"  as  she  is 
proudly  styled,  is  furnishing  to  the  millions  of  the  same  blood 
that  are  svibject  to  the  tyrant's  sway,  the  benefits  of  a  liberal 
education ;  and  thus  is  she  gradually  preparing  the  way  for 
their  total  emancipation  from  the  shackles  of  ignorance  and 
superstition. 

As  in  Germany,  instruction  is  given  wholly  by  means  of 
written  lectures.*  From  the  gi*eat  lack  of  suitable  text-books, 
the  students  labor  under  serious  disadvantages,  and  are  com- 
pelled to  make  the  mere  taking  of  notes  an  arduous  undertak- 
ing, wasting  in  the  manual  exercise  much  time  that  might 
be  far  more  profitably  expended  in  reading  on  the  subjects 
treated  in  the  public  discourses.  It  becomes  the  more  indis- 
pensable to  commit  to  paper  the  entu'e  substance  of  the  lec- 
tures, from  the  fact  that  the  only  examinations  are  those  to 
which  the  candidate  for  a  degi'ee  must  submit.  They  embrace 
all  the  subjects  comprehended  within  the  course,  and  are  so 
severe  that  comparatively  few  succeed  m  undergoing  them. 
Their  difficulty  arises  in  part  from  the  want  of  any  prescribed 
order  of  study.  Any  lack  of  adequate  preparation  is  conse- 
quently apt  to  remam  undetected  until  the  final  trial. f 

As  the  admission  is  entfrely  free,  on  a  pleasant  afternoon 
the  lecture-room  of  a  popular  mstructor  will  be  crowded  to 
overflowing.  Step  with  me,  for  instance,  into  the  hall  where 
Professor  Manousis  daily  holds  forth,  and  you  will  find  it 
thronged  not  only  with  regular  students,  but  with  others  Avho 
eagerly  seize  the  opportunity  to  hear  an  entertaining  discourse 

*  The  only  recitation  is  one  that  is  intended  exclusively  for  those  who 
expect  to  devote  themselves  to  teaching. 

t  See  the  preface  to  "Directions  to  the  students  of  each  School,  re- 
specting the  sxxccession  of  the  various  sciences,  and  the  preservation  of 
Method  and  Order  in  the  pursuit  of  the  studies  in  the  University" — a 
pamphlet  published  by  the  Prytanis  in  1838,  in  order  to  diminish  the 
danger  of  serious  mistake. 


POPULAR    EDUCATION.  85 

on  Universal  History.  Here  is  the  soldier,  off  duty,  in  his 
gay  uniform,  and  by  his  side  the  parish  priest  wearing  his  long 
black  gowTi  and  large  cap.  The  youth  on  another  bench,  who 
is  distinguished  by  his  long  hair,  is  a  candidate  for  deacon's 
orders.  Here  and  there,  mmgled  with  these,  is  a  fair  repre- 
sentation of  the  townspeople  who  have  escaped  fi'om  their 
day's  toUs,  and  drop  in  for  an  hour  or  two  before  returning 
home.  If  the  discourse  be  consecrated  to  Chemistry,  the 
crowd  of  auditors  will  be  still  greater — the  aisles  crowded, 
and  several  standing  even  upon  the  lecturer's  platform. 

Connected  with  the  University,  there  is  on  the  hill  of  the 
Nymphs  an  excellent  astronomical  observatory,  the  munificent 
gift  of  a  single  wealthy  Greek  residing  in  Austria — the  Baron 
Sunas — who  gave  not  less  than  $50,000  to  build  and  furnish 
it  with  suitable  mstruments.  Among  these  the  chief  is  a  re- 
fracting telescope,  magnifying  about  five  hundred  diameters. 
On  a  clear  evening  the  observatory  is  a  favorite  resort  of  the 
Athenians  of  all  classes. 

That  an  institution  so  well  organized,  presided  over  by  men 
of  the  greatest  distinction  for  talents  and  learnmg,  and  yearlj^ 
attended  by  seven  hundred  and  fifty  youth,  has  been  reared 
within  the  short  space  of  twenty  years,  in  spite  of  formidable 
obstacles  from  ignorance  and  prejudice,  is  a  fact  of  which 
Greece  may  well  be  proud.  But  a  yet  higher  claim  to  the 
respect  of  civilized  Europe  and  America  can  be  based  on  the 
completeness  of  her  system  of  gratuitous  and  popular  educa- 
tion, extending  fi'om  the  primary  school  to  the  very  threshold 
of  the  University.  It  may  be  affirmed  with  confidence  that 
none  need  be  depx-ived  of  a  respectable  education,  save  in  con- 
sequence of  their  o^\ai  willfulness  or  want  of  industry.  The 
whole  area  of  Greece,  containing,  according  to  the  official  re- 
turns, 992,643  inhabitants,  is  divided  into  272  demi,  or  town- 
ships. In  these  there  were,  in  1852,  325  common  schools  reg- 
ularly organized,  with  29,229  children,  and  in  1853,  about 
40,000.  The  studies  are  such  as  are  most  essential  for  the 
pursuits  of  ordinary  life.  It  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that 
over  4000  of  these  scholars  are  girls.  Thirty  years  ago  it 
was  esteemed  preposterous  for  a  parent  to  teach  his  daughter 
any  thing  beyond  reading  and  ^vriting ;  and  such  a  thing  as  a 


8b  STDDENT-LIFE    IN    ATHENS. 

school  for  girls  was  unheard  of.  Yet,  at  present,  there  is  a 
sort  of  female  college  under  the  care  of  Madame  Mano,  where 
several  hundred  young  ladies  are  educated :  it  occupies  an 
imposing  edifice  recently  erected  by  the  contributions  of  many, 
and  the  liberality  of  a  few  wealthy  citizens.  Of  the  school  in- 
stituted many  years  since  by  our  countryman,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Hill,  and  his  estimable  lady,  mention  is  made  in  another 
place. 

Next  in  rank  above  the  common  or  demotic  schools,  are  the 
Hellenic  schools,  eighty-five  in  number ;  and  the  six  or  seven 
gymnasia,  corresponding  to  our  grammar-schools,  and,  in  part, 
to  our  colleges.  Thence  the  transition  is  easy  to  the  Univers- 
ity, where  the  professional  studies  are  first  undertaken.  These 
seminaries  of  learning  are  frequented  by  about  10,000  stu- 
dents. 

Besides  these  institutions,  there  are  a  number  of  others 
more  special  in  their  character.  The  Rizarian  School  is  a 
sort  of  theological  seminary  for  the  education  of  young  men 
for  the  priesthood,  founded  by  a  wealthy  Greek  after  Avhom  it 
is  named.  Of  the  height  of  its  standard  in  a  litei-ary  point  of 
view,  I  am  unable  to  speak  with  certainty.  It  was  brought 
prominently  into  notice  during  my  stay  in  Athens  by  a  rebell- 
ion of  its  sixty  students.  Their  ostensible  ground  was  the 
coarseness  of  the  bread  they  were  fed  upon ;  but  it  was  stated 
in  the  journals  that  the  true  reason  was  the  dissatisfaction  of 
the  bigoted  students  with  the  more  liberal  views  and  practice 
of  one  or  two  of  their  professors.  It  was  only  by  the  inter- 
vention of  the  police,  and  the  capture  of  a  few  of  their  num- 
ber, that  peace  was  restored  among  these  bellicose  theologians. 

There  is  a  Military  School  at  Athens,  a  Naval  School  at 
Syra,  and  an  Agricultural  School  situated  but  a  few  rods  from 
the  ruins  of  ancient  Tiryns,  in  Argolis.  But  the  latter,  though 
possessing,  it  is  said,  some  fifty  students,  is  generally  consid- 
ered a  failure.  Perhaps  the  most  singular  institution  is  the 
Polytechnic  School,  "  where  on  feast  days  and  Sundays  the 
mechanics  of  the  capital  resort  to  be  taught  chemistry  appUed 
to  the  arts,  drawing,  etc."* 

*  I  am  indebted  for  most  of  the  statistical  information  respecting  the 
schools  of  Greece,  to  a  manuscript  paper  "On  the  State  of  Education 


PROSPECTS    OK    EDUCATION. 


87 


Such  are  a  few  of  the  data  by  which  we  may  form  an  opin- 
ion of  the  present  intellectual  position  of  Greece.  The  sys- 
tem of  education,  though  carefully  planned  on  French,  and  es- 
pecially German  models,  is  doubtless  capable  of  considerable 
improvement ;  but  it  is  truly  Avouderful,  considering  the  rapid- 
ity of  its  rise.  Li  Athens  alone  there  are  five  thousand  souls, 
out  of  a  population  of  about  thirty  thousand,  engaged  in  study. 
Under  such  circumstances,  no  one  can  deny  that  the  present 
condition  of  Greece  is  full  of  promise.  Seed  has  been  planted 
that  must  yield  a  plentiful  harvest.  Greece  needs,  however, 
a  higher  tone  of  morality,  and  a  purer  forai  of  religion.  This  is 
the  dark  side  of  the  picture.  Would  that  clearer  indications 
of  a  change  so  much  to  be  desired  could  be  presaged  in  the 
future.  Then  might  we  confidently  abide  the  time,  when, 
though  insignificant  in  size  beside  the  overgrown  states  of  mod- 
em Europe,  Greece  would  wield  an  influence  disproportioned 
to  the  extent  of  her  teri'itory  or  the  number  of  her  inhabitants. 

in  Greece,"  procured  fi-om  the  Bureau  of  the  Minister  of  Pubhc  In- 
struction, through  my  friend  Mr.  Pittakes.  It  has  never  been  published, 
I  understand. 


TUB  ACBOPOLIB   BEBTOBEDl 


THE  ACROPOLIS,    FROM   THE  HILL   OF   THE   MUSEITM. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MODERN  GREEK  CUSTOMS. 
A   WEDDING    IN    THE    LTPEU   CIRCLES. 

A  MARRIAGE  ceremony  at  Athens  is  a  celebration  very  differ- 
ent from  one  in  the  country.  In  the  former  we  find  exhibited 
somewhat  of  European  civilization  and  cultivation  ;  while  into 
the  remote  villages,  the  influence  of  foreign  customs  has  not 
yet  penetrated.  There,  people  are  married,  as  well  as  baptized 
and  buried,  according  to  the  good  old  customs  of  theu-  fathers. 
And  yet,  even  in  the  city,  so  many  characteristic  peculiarities 
have  been  preserved,  that  they  appear  novel  and  interesting 
to  a  stranger.  I  was  therefoi-e  greatly  pleased  upon  receiving 
one  day  an  invitation  to  the  weddmg  of  a  young  Greek  couple, 
who  were  to  be  maiTied  a  few  evenings  later. 

The  rite  takes  place  generally  at  the  house  of  the  bride- 
groom, though  in  some  provinces  the  parish  church  is  resorted 
to.  But  in  this  respect,  as  in  most  others,  each  petty  district 
has  its  o^\^l  customs,  immutable  as  the  laws  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians.  We  went  at  an  early  hour  to  the  scene  of  the 
evening's  festivities.  It  was  a  mansion  of  the  old  style,  built 
of  stone  and  stucco,  and  facing  upon  one  of  the  small  streets 
that  abound  in  the  more  ancient  part  of  the  town.     A  crowd 


A     WKDDING    I'AlVl'V.  89 

uf  the  lower  classes,  who,  though  not  among  the  mvited,  made 
bold  to  collect  in  force  around  the  door,  seemed  to  preclude  our 
entrance.  A  small  company  at  a  drmkmg-shop  some  distance 
down  the  street  were  keeping  up  then-  spirits  with  frequent 
potations,  and  made  merry  with  the  music  of  a  stringed  in- 
strument, whose  notes  grated  harshly  upon  our  ears.  This 
entertamment  was  every  now  and  then  interrupted  by  the  jo- 
cose comments  of  the  party  upon  the  appearance  of  the  guests, 
as  they  successively  came  into  the  light  cast  by  a  flaming 
torch  fastened  near  the  door.  When  at  length  we  had  work- 
ed our  way  vip  the  thronged  stairs,  we  found  that  some  sixty 
or  eighty  persons  were  already  assembled  in  the  moderately 
large  parlor,  which  though  it  seemed  rather  bare  of  ornament 
and  furniture  to  one  who  had  come  from  the  West,  had  some 
pretensions  in  common  with  the  drawing-rooms  of  Paris  and 
London.  The  assembled  company,  composed  as  usual  of  a 
much  greater  proportion  of  ladies  than  of  gentlemen,  were 
mostly  dressed  in  the  latest  style  of  Paris  fashions.  Yet  there 
was  a  sprinlding  of  gentlemen  clad  in  the  genuine  Albanian 
dress,  comprising  your  free-and-easy  people  who  wash  to  pass 
for  the  more  independent  class  of  society,  and  scorn  to  adopt 
the  perpetually  changing  mode.  There  were  not  wanting  a 
considerable  number  of  pretty  faces  among  the  ladies  (who, 
accordmg  to  the  common  practice,  congi-egated  on  one  side  of 
the  room)  ;  but  it  was  a  beauty  that  consisted  rather  in  fresh- 
ness of  color,  and  a  good  healthy  look,  than  in  delicacy  of  feat- 
ure. If,  however,  fame  speaks  truly,  some  of  the  color  is 
borrowed,  and  the  belle  of  the  ball-room  makes  but  a  sorry 
figure  the  next  morning.  All  the  tight  lacing  in  the  world 
could  not  give  an  Athenian  young  lady  the  wasp-like  contour 
which  is  the  admiration  of  French  dressmakers  and  misses  in 
their  teens.  Disguise  it  as  they  may,  there  is  a  tendency  to 
embonpoint  among  the  ladies,  many  of  whom  waddle  about 
\\ath  a  grace  which  would  seem  charming  m  the  eyes  of  our 
Dutch  progenitors.  Tlie  men,  on  the  other  hand,  are  a  lean, 
lank  race,  whose  dark  complexions  acquire  an  additional  touch 
of  ferocity  from  the  fonnidable  mustaches  which,  when  their 
hands  are  not  otherwise  employed,  they  may  be  seen  twirling 
bv  the  hour. 


90  MODERN    GREEK    CUSTOMS. 

The  company  were  all  assembled,  and  on  the  tip-toe  of  ex- 
pectation, when  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride  entered,  and 
took  their  stand  at  the  further  extremity  of  the  room.  Each 
of  them  held  a  long,  lighted  waxen  taper,  and  the  groomsman 
and  bridesmaid  carried  similar  ones.  The  bride,  arrayed  in  a 
white  satin  dress,  covered  with  lace,  and  having  for  a  head- 
dress a  wreath  of  flowers,  from  behind  A\'hich  a  long  white  veil 
hung  down  over  her  shoulders,  looked  charming  —  as  what 
bride  does  not?  She  bore  the  classic  name  of  Athena.  The 
bridegroom  was  dressed  entirely  in  Frank  costume.  The 
priests  came  in  at  the  same  time  with  the  couple — or,  more 
properly,  there  were  present  at  the  beginning  of  the  service 
two  priests,  with  a  deacon  and  a  young  man  who  read  the 
responses,  and  who  corresponded  to  the  enfant  de  cliamr  of  the 
Latin  Church. 

There  are  two  distinct  services  in  the  Greek  Church  per- 
taining to  this  ceremony ;  and  the  rite  of  marriage  can  not 
take  place  unless  the  parties  have  been  previously  betrothed. 
Sometimes,  however,  as  in  this  instance,  the  one  service  takes 
place  immediately  before  the  other.  The  liturgy  was  read  by 
one  of  the  piiests  from  an  elegantly-bound  service-book.  In 
one  part  of  the  ceremony  he  stopped,  and  taking  up  a  ring 
from  the  small  table,  on  which  were  deposited  the  various 
utensils  which  the  deacon  had  brought  in,  he  thrice  made  the 
sign  of  the  cross  over  the  book.  Then  he  touched  it  to  the 
forehead  of  the  bridegroom  and  to  that  of  the  bride.  Last  of 
all,  he  placed  it  successively  upon  the  finger,  first  of  one,  and 
then  of  the  other,  after  divers  crossings  performed  in  the  air. 

When  the  parties  were  thus  lawfully  betrothed,  there  was 
a  short  pause ;  and  then  the  bishop,  whom  the  relatives  had 
invited  to  officiate,  in  order  to  give  more  brilliancy  to  the 
wedding,  entered  the  room,  and  the  priests  hastened  to  do 
him  homage.  Plis  ordinary  episcopal  costume  consists  of  a 
black  cloak  and  gown,  and  the  clerical  cap,  over  which  a 
black  veil  hangs  down  behind  as  a  distinguishing  mark  of  his 
office.  But  on  this  occasion  his  head  was  covered  with  a 
crown,  and  he  carried  a  heavy  silver  crozier,  such  as  is  only 
to  be  seen  in  the  Greek  Church — Koman  Catholic  bishops 
rarely  appearing  in  public  with  it.     The  handsome  dresses  of 


MARRIAGE    CEREMONY.  91 

the  priests  added  to  the  singularity  of  the  scene.  The  bishop 
now  took  a  principal  part  in  the  services,  reading  from  a 
book  of  solid  silver  binding,  vi^hich  one  of  the  priests  held  be- 
fore him.  Whenever  he  found  it  necessary  to  lay  aside  his 
crozier,  one  of  the  attendant  ecclesiastics  took  it,  at  the  same 
time  kissing  his  hand ;  and  when  he  resumed  it,  the  same  cer- 
emony was  gone  through,  to  the  no  small  disgust  of  those  of 
us  Avho  were  not  accustomed  to  such  abject  servility.  The 
service  was  protracted,  and  we  became  rather  weary  of  it ;  for 
it  was  chiefly  made  up  of  prayers,  hurried  through,  and  of 
passages  of  Scripture,  mumbled  over  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
be  quite  unintelligible.  Some  portions  of  the  written  form 
are  in  themselves  so  utterly  senseless,  that  no  one  can  have 
the  least  idea  of  what  they  mean. 

The  great  and  essential  part  of  the  rite  was  the  crowning  of 
the  couple.  The  crowns  were,  in  this  case,  merely  wreaths  of 
artificial  flowers,  numbers  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  shops 
every  day.  The  groomsman  held  one  over  the  head  of  the 
bridegroom,  and  the  bridesmaid  held  a  similar  one  over  the 
bride's  head  during  the  whole  time,  and  they  appeared  quite 
fatigued  before  the  end  of  the  ceremony  was  reached.  At 
last,  the  proper  moment  arriving,  the  bishop  took  one  of  the 
wreaths,  touching  it  to  the  forehead  of  the  bridegroom,  and 
afterward  to  that  of  the  bride,  and  made  with  it  the  sign  of 
the  cross  between  the  couple.  This  he  repeated  three  times, 
at  the  same  time  reciting  the  w^ords  that  follow  :  "  Thou,  the 
servant  of  the  Lord,  Gregory,  art  crowned  (or  married)  to  the 
servant  of  the  Lord,  Athena,  in  the  name  of  the  P^'ather,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  He  then  crowned  the 
bridegroom  with  this  wreath,  and  with  the  other  performed 
the  same  ceremony  in  respect  to  the  bride.  Subsequently,  the 
groomsman,  who  is  usually  the  godfather,  or  nonnos  of  the 
bridegroom,  and  is  expected  to  be  hereditary  sponsor,  ex- 
changed the  wreaths,  and  then  replaced  them  on  the  heads 
of  the  couple.  A  cup  was  next  handed  by  the  bishop,  first 
to  the  man,  and  then  to  the  woman,  and  each  of  them  drank 
a  portion  of  the  wine  it  contained.  This  very  pleasing  cere- 
mony was  symbolic  of  the  obligation  that  both  parties  assume 
to  participate  equally  in  all  the  pleasures  and  sufferings  of 


[)'2  MODERN    GRKEIi    CL'STO.■^I^i. 

life,  in  its  joys  and  its  soiTows.  I  had  heard  it  stated  that  a 
bitter  ingredient  is  mingled  with  the  wine;  but  those  of 
whom  I  inquired  assured  me  that  nothing  of  the  kuid  was 
customaiy.  It  was  singular  that  so  affecting  an  incident 
should  be  closely  followed  by  another  of  a  ludicrous  char- 
acter. The  bishop  took  the  hand  of  the  priest ;  he,  in  turn, 
grasped  that  of  the  deacon ;  and  so  with  the  manied  couple, 
the  singers,  and  all,  a  string  was  made,  which  the  chief  ec- 
clesiastic led  around  the  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room. 
The  whole  bore  an  amusing  resemblance  to  some  of  the 
games  that  children  play  in  America.  With  this  the  service 
ended,  to  the  satisfaction  of  eveiy  one  present.  When  the 
priests  had  retired,  the  company  pressed  around  the  bride- 
groom and  bride  to  offer  congratulations,  some  formal,  and 
others  affectionate.  The  guests  remained  but  a  few  mo- 
ments more.  A  servant  came,  bringing  in  a  large  waiter 
covered  with  candies,  and  each  was  expected  to  help  himself 
plentifully  to  them,  as  well  as  to  caiTy  some  home.  A  few 
of  those  present  seemed  to  measure  their  kind  feelings  to  the 
couple  by  the  quantity  they  heaped  together ;  and,  judging  by 
this  criterion,  their  benevolent  feelings  were  not  small.  Two 
or  three  drew  out  their  handkerchiefs,  and  carried  them  away 
full.  After  this  the  company  began  to  disperse,  and  we  fol- 
lowed the  general  example. 

It  struck  me  as  a  very  singular  feature,  that  during  the  en- 
tire service  I  had  been  listening  to,  not  a  single  response  was 
made  by  the  couple,  nor  had  the  consent  of  the  parties  been 
expressed,  or  any  promise  exacted  of  them.  In  fact,  the 
bridegroom  may  arrange  the  whole  matter  with  the  parents 
or  guardians  of  the  lady,  without  her  knowledge,  and  even 
against  her  will.  And  let  not  any  one  suppose  that  such  an 
arrangement,  while  sanctioned  by  law,  never  actually  occurs 
in  point  of  fact.  We  must  assure  him  that  such  things  do 
happen,  and  not  unfrequently.  A  case  of  this  kind  was  re- 
lated to  me,  as  having  taken  place  not  long  since  at  Smyrna ; 
and  the  story  was  romantic  enough,  in  its  details,  to  form  the 
subject  of  a  tale  of  no  ordinaiy  interest.  A  wealthy  inhab- 
itant of  that  city,  an  old  Greek  subject,  had  an  only  daughter, 
named  Thoodosia.     Her  hand  had  been  soucht,  and  her  affec- 


COMPL'I.SOKl'    MARKIAGE.  93 

tious  had  been  gained  by  a  respectable  young  English  resident 
of  the  place.  But  the  father  was  too  proud  to  let  his  daughter 
many  a  foreigner,  and  a  heretic  besides ;  and  he  commanded 
her  to  think  no  more  of  him.  As  an  offset,  he  promised  her 
in  marriage  to  a  boorish  Greek  from  the  East.  But  the  affec- 
tions, it  is  Avell  known,  are  sometimes  most  unreasonably 
stubborn,  and  the  young  lady  preferred  an  elopement.  A 
rendezvous  was  fixed  upon  by  the  two  lovers ;  but  unfortu- 
nately there  was  a  misunderstanding  as  to  the  spot,  and  Theo- 
dosia,  after  waiting  for  hours  at  the  place  agreed  upon,  was 
finally  discovered  and  brought  back  to  her  father's  house. 
Threats,  and  even  chastisement  were  employed,  ineffectually, 
with  the  hope  of  gaining  her  consent  to  the  match.  Notwith- 
standing this  persistency,  a  day  was  appointed  for  the  nuptials, 
the  priests  were  called  in  to  perform  the  rite,  and  the  young 
girl  was  brought  into  the  room  by  main  force.  While  the 
service  was  being  read  Theodosia  fainted,  and  the  priests  stop- 
ped until  she  recovered  her  senses,  when  they  proceeded,  and 
she  was  wedded  to  a  man  whom  she  loathed.  This  compul- 
sion may  appear  the  more  remarkable  from  the  fact,  that  at 
this  time  she  was  nineteen  or  twenty  years  of  age.  So  in- 
auspicious a  wedding  was  not  likely  to  introduce  a  happy 
union.  It  Avas  not  veiy  long  before  she  was  forced  to  be  sep- 
arated from  her  husband,  who  treated  her  in  a  most  cruel 
manner.  Her  father  had  been  the  strenuous  advocate  of  the 
marriage ;  but  for  a  long  time  he  found  himself  utterly  unable 
to  persuade  her  to  leave  the  man  whom  he  had  compelled  her 
to  wed.* 

MARRIAGE    AMONG    THE    LOWER    ORDERS. 

The  customs  that  characterize  a  country  are  to  be  found  in 
their  purity  chiefly  in  those  remote  portions  where  the  man- 
ners of  other  nations  have  not  as  yet  intruded.  The  increas- 
ing facilities  of  intercommunication,  while  they  improve  the 
condition  of  the  poorer  classes,  so  far  as  material  interests  are 
affected,  destroy  those  striking  contrasts  in  the  mode  of  living 

*  Such  is  the  story  as  related  by  one  who  had  been  a  neighbor  and 
intimate  acquaintance  of  the  parties ;  and  it  was  confirmed  by  several 
esteemed  Athenian  friends. 


94  MODEKN    GREEK    CUSTOMS. 

which  excite  the  curiosity  of  the  stranger.  An  American 
walking  the  streets  of  Athens,  hears  at  every  turn  the  cry  of 
the  peddler,  who,  under  the  name  of  "pania  Americanica," 
hawks  the  fabrics  of  the  Lowell  mills ;  and  the  Grecian 
mother  finds  it  cheaper  to  clothe  her  daughters  in  these,  than 
to  occupy  her  leisure  hours  at  the  loom. 

In  secluded  villages  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  which  in  the 
capital  has  become  gradually  assimilated  to  the  stereotyped 
form  of  other  countries,  includes  a  number  of  curious  rem- 
nants of  ancient  usages.  Every  petty  hamlet,  or  at  least 
every  small  district,  possesses  its  own  customs,  which  entire- 
ly regulate  the  performance  of  the  ceremony,  and  which  none 
even  of  the  more  polished  citizens  attempt  to  abrogate.  It 
would,  therefore,  be  quite  a  hopeless  task  to  describe  all  the 
different  modes ;  and  the  customs  that  prevail  in  the  province 
of  Maina,  at  the  southerly  extremity  of  the  country,  may  be 
taken  as  a  fair  specimen  of  the,  rest.  The  connection,  long 
since  projected,  and  fully  discussed  in  family  council  on  either 
side,  has  at  length  been  approved,  and  the  time  for  its  con- 
summation determined,  by  all  the  nearest  relatives  of  the  in- 
terested parties.  Lideed,  such  a  thing  as  a  clandestine  mar- 
riage, or  one  celebrated  without  the  authorization  of  friends, 
is  almost  unheard  of.  Whoever  should  marry  a  young  lady 
without  first  asking  the  consent  of  her  relatives,  would  in 
Maina  inevitably  draw  upon  himself  tlieir  fiercest  animosity, 
and  cause  an  irretrievable  breach,  sooner  or  later  ending  in 
revenge  and  bloodshed.  We  have  heard  the  instance  of  one 
young  man,  who  eloped  with  a  girl  of  his  acquaintance, 
and  who,  after  forty  years  had  passed,  Avhen  suiTounded  by 
grown-up  sons  and  daughters,  fell  a  victim  to  the  relentless 
hatred  of  those  whom  he  had  so  long  since  ofifcnded.* 

The  more  important  preparations  for  the  Avedding  uniformly 
commence  on  Thursday  evening.  ToAvai'd  dusk,  the  young 
men  who  have  been  invited  bring  the  wood  necessary  for  cook- 

*  This  incident  is  embodied  in  one  of  those  pathetic  mcerologia,  or 
laments,  which  are  repeated  over  the  tombs  of  the  deceased.  In  this 
])oetic  history  the  leading  events  of  the  man's  lifeare  related  with  con- 
siderable detail.  Some  pei'sons  have  acquired  a  singular  reputation  for 
their  skill  in  composing  them. 


PKEPAKATIONS    FOK    A    WKDDING.  95 

ing  purposes ;  while  the  young  women  meet  to  sift  the  coarse 
tlour  that  is  to  be  employed.  On  Friday,  they  again  assemble 
to  cleanse  the  wheat  and  to  grind  it  in  the  hand-mill.  The 
flour  thus  obtained  is  used  that  veiy  evening,  when  the  maid- 
ens gather  round  the  kneading-trough  to  fashion  several  kinds 
of  cake.  One  of  the  girls,  who  according  to  ancient  custom 
must  have  both  her  parents  living,  begins  the  kneading ;  while, 
the  others,  standing  around,  throw  in  various  coins,  and  singi 
ditties  which  are  mostly  quite  unintelligible,  but  have  been 
handed  down  traditionally  from  dame  to  daughter  for  genera- 
tions. The  cakes  made  of  this  dough  are  sent  to  all  the  friends 
of  the  parties,  as  invitations  to  attend  the  wedding.  Another 
large  cake  is  prepared  at  the  same  time,  to  be  cut  on  Sunday 
evening,  at  the  house  of  the  bridegi-oom,  as  a  signal  for  the 
termination  of  the  festivities. 

The  bridegroom  and  his  intended  father-in-law  each  invite 
their  friends  to  their  houses.  If  they  live  in  the  same  village, 
this  is  accomplished  in  person  ;  but  if  they  live  too  far  off,  the 
invitation  is  equally  well  understood  on  the  reception  of  the 
small  cake,  which  in  these  hamlets  takes  the  place  of  the  gilt 
and  crested  envelope,  and  the  "At  home"  card  of  our  more 
refined  countries.  After  its  reception  a  person  is  in  duty 
bound  to  go  on  the  same  day  to  the  house  to  which  he  is  bid- 
den, where  a  convivial  party  is  thus  assembled.  Its  occu- 
pation for  the  afternoon  consists  in  cleansing,  and  sometimes 
grinding  the  wheat,  though  this  latter  operation  is  often  de- 
ferred for  a  day  or  two.  "VVliile  they  perform  these  offices  of 
friendship,  the  company  enliven  their  labors  by  singing  va- 
rious songs,  for  the  most,  part  curious  and  characteristic,  but 
few  of  which  have  ever  yet  been  collected  into  a  permanent 
form. 

The  remainder  of  the  week  is  spent  in  a  quiet  manner,  and 
it  is  not  until  the  ensuing  Saturday  that  the  same  parties  re- 
assemble, at  the  house  of  the  bridegroom  or  bride,  as  the  case 
may  be,  for  no  one  is  invited  to  both  places.  The  bridegroom, 
who  according  to  the  custom  of  the  district  bears  all  the  ex- 
penses, has  agreed  previously  to  provide  a  stipulated  number 
of  rams  or  sheep,  which  never  number  less  than  three,  and 
rarely  exceed  a  dozen.     These  he  now  sends  to  the  house  of 


96  MODERN    GREEK    CUSTOMS. 

his  intended  father-in-law,  and  Avith  them,  three  times  as  many 
loaves  of  bread  as  there  are  sheep,  and  three  times  as  many 
oJces  of  wine*  as  there  are  loaves  of  bread.  The  men  who 
are  dispatched  with  these  gifts — intended,  of  course,  for 
immediate  consumption — expect  to  be  entertained  and  lodged 
at  the  house  of  the  bride  for  the  night.  Such  an  addition  to 
the  domestic  circle  might  terrify  an  American  housekeeper; 
but  as  beds  are  a  commodity  unknown  or  unused,  so  far  as 
the  greater  part  of  the  population  are  concerned,  even  a  large 
number  of  guests  can  be  easily  accommodated.  The  Greek 
peasant,  provided  that  he  finds  plenty  to  eat,  and  especially  to 
drink,  lays  himself  down  in  perfect  contentment,  wrapped  up 
in  his  huge  capote,  or  shaggy  cloak,  by  the  side  of  the  fire, 
kindled  on  a  stone  hearth,  in  the  middle  of  the  room ;  mean- 
while the  family,  perhaps,  occupy  a  small  inclosed  space  at 
one  of  the  ends  of  the  house,  to  which  access  is  gained  by  a 
ladder  of  two  or  three  steps. 

At  about  midnight  another  set  of  men  are  dispatched  from 
the  bridegroom's  house.  They  carry  a  complete  attire  for  the 
bi'ide,  who  is  dressed  in  it  immediately.  Then  on  Sunday 
morning,  at  about  three  or  four  o'clock,  the  bridegroom  pro- 
ceeds thither  in  person,  accompanied  by  a  few  of  his  more  in- 
timate friends.  And  now  the  marriage  ceremony,  that  is  to 
say,  the  ste2)hanonia,  or  crowning,  takes  place  in  the  presence 
of  all ;  the  parish  priest,  Avho  has  quitted  his  slumbers  at  tliis 
early  hour,  officiating.  Upon  the  conclusion  of  the  service 
the  priest  retires  to  his  home,  and  so  does  the  bridegroom, 
leaving  the  lady  at  her  father's  house.  But  at  perhaps  nine 
o'clock,  in  broad  daylight,  he  proceeds  on  horseback,  attended 
by  all  his  friends,  to  claim  and  carry  home  his  newly-married 
wife.  On  either  hand  walk  two  of  his  nearest  female  rela- 
tives, on  his  father's  and  mother's  side.  When  the  procession 
reaches  the  house,  the  bridegroom  does  not  enter,  but,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  stops  in  some  part  of  the  court,  while  the  guests 
of  the  bride's  father  come  severally  to  greet  him.  First  his 
mother-in-law  embraces  him,  at  the  same  time  placing  about 
his  neck  a  handkerchief,  as  a  gift.     All  the  women  follow  her 

*  Wine  and  oil  ai-e  in  Greece  measured  by  weight,  and  an  oke  is 
nearly  equal  to  three  pounds  of  our  standard. 


NUPTIAL    GItTS.  1)7 

example,  and  place  a  similar  present  on  his  shoulders,  so  that 
before  they  get  through  he  finds  himself  loaded  down  with  a 
pile  of  handkerchiefs.  These,  of  course,  he  does  not  Avish  to 
keep,  and  -within  a  few  days  disposes  of,  without  compunc- 
tion, by  sale.  As  the  custom  is  universal  in  that  region,  the 
matter  is  merely  one  of  exchange,  for  each  receives  in  the 
end  about  as  much  as  he  gives.  And  now  the  bridegroom 
and  his  friends  may  enter  the  house,  where  they  ai'e  gener- 
ously entertained,  and  for  a  while  conviviality  reigns. 

But  this  must  end.  The  father  takes  his  daughter,  and, 
committhig  her  to  the  husband's  care,  gives  him  such  advice 
and  exhortation  as  he  may  think  proper.  Then,  leading  them 
both  into  the  coiu't,  he  makes  them  tread  on  some  firm  stone 
— a  ceremony  which,  if  it  has  any  meaning  at  all,  as,  with 
regard  to  many  of  these  more  trifling  particulars,  seems  rather 
improbable,  is  intended  to  convey  the  idea  of  the  unanimity 
that  should  exist  between  them.*  The  parents  now  take 
leave  of  their  daughter,  and  the  fi'iends  accompany  the  new- 
ly-maiTied  couple  to  their  home.  The  guests  of  the  bride- 
groom as  they  go,  divert  themselves  with  songs  of  little  poet- 
ical merit,  indeed,  but  lively  enough,  in  which  they  represent 
themselves  as  ha-\ing  "  robbed  a  neighborhood,  and  spoiled  a 
country,  to  carry  otf  the  bride  whose  praises  thousands  sing." 
This  nettles  the  friends  of  the  bride's  father,  Avho  retort  upon 
them  by  wishing  that  "  the  bride  may  shine  upon  them  like 
the  sun,  or  like  the  moon ;  that  she  may  trample  them  under 
foot  like  the  earth,  and  be  in  no  way  dejiendent  on  them  for 
any  thing." 

The  same  ceremony  that  took  place  at  the  dwelling  of  the 
father-in-law  is  now  repeated  at  that  of  the  bridegroom  ;  and 
the  bride  is  not  alloAved  to  enter  her  new  home  before  her  hus- 
band's friends  have  all  pressed  around  her  to  load  her  with 
presents,  which  consist  of  various  little  commodities,  or  of 

*  Strange  to  sar,  a  custom  veiy  similar  prevails  among  the  Hindoos. 
"  A  stone  being  placed  before  her  (the  bride),  she,  with  her  hands  joined 
in  a  hollow  form,  was  made  to  tread  upon  it  with  the  toes  of  her  right 
foot  during  this  adckess  of  the  bridegi-oom :  'Ascend  this  stone — be  firm 
like  this  stone — distress  my  foe,  and  be  not  subsenient  to  my  enemy.' " 
— India  and  the  Hindoos,  by  F.  de  W.  Ward,  p.  248. 

E 


98  MODERN    GREEK    CUSTOMS- 

money.  All  the  assembled  company  then  follow  the  couple 
into  the  house,  where,  after  a  few  unimportant  forms,  they 
sit  down  to  a  collation,  with  which  the  entire  ceremonial 
comes  to  an  end. 

Those  acquainted  with  the  customs  of  the  ancient  Greeks 
will  scarcely  fail  to  remark  the  very  striking  points  of  resem- 
blance presented  by  these  observances.  The  wedding,  the 
bridal  procession,  the  songs  of  the  friends,  and  many  of  the 
inferior  details  preserve  a  similarity  truly  wonderful,  when 
we  take  into  consideration  the  varied  circumstances,  and  the 
long  space  of  time  that  has  intervened.  The  fact  must,  how- 
ever, be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  habits  of  the  people  in  vari- 
ous districts  are  so  extremely  diverse,  that  the  description  of 
those  which  prevail  in  one  place  will  by  no  means  convey  a 
correct  idea  of  those  of  a  village  only  a  few  miles  distant. 

A    GREEK    BAPTISM. 

One  of  the  tenants  of  a  friend  Avas  about  to  have  his  child 
baptized,  and  we  were  included  among  those  mvited  to  wit- 
ness the  ceremony.  The  small  cottage,  which  stood  with  its 
end  to  the  street,  was  entered  from  the  court  on  its  side,  and 
here  a  part  of  the  family,  in  then*  gala  dress,  were  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  the  priest  who  was  to  officiate.  There  is  a 
large  fund  of  kindness  in  the  Greek  heart,  even  among  the 
poorest ;  and  the  inmates  of  the  cottage  received  us  with 
pleasure,  and  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost  to  entertain 
us.  The  priest  kept  us  waiting  for  him.  When  he  came,  I 
found  that  he  was  an  acquaintance,  and  officiated  in  the 
neighboring  church  of  St.  Nicholas  Eangaves,  whose  shrill 
little  bell,  ringing  to  call  the  people  to  their  devotions,  used 
to  break  in  upon  my  morning  slumbers.  A  good  heart  beats 
beneath  that  coarse  black  cloak,  and  a  ruddy  face  beams  with 
good-nature  from  under  the  priestly  cap ;  but  a  plentiful  use 
of  the  snuff-box  does  not  improve  its  appearance  as  to  clean- 
liness. 

A  large  brass  vessel,  two  feet  m  diameter,  was  brought  in 
by  a  young  man,  and  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  and 
several  bucketfuls  of  warm  and  cold  water  were  poured  in 
until  the  temperatui'e  was  judged  to  be  suitable.     But  before 


TRINE   IMMERSION.  99 

the  water  was  fit  to  be  used,  another  operation  was  neces- 
sary ;  for  the  presence  of  any  evil  spirits  or  magic  in  the  wa- 
ter would  infallibly  impau-,  if  not  destroy,  the  effect  of  the 
ordinance.  If  any  such  beings  or  influences  lay  concealed, 
they  were  surely  dispelled  by  the  manipulations  of  the  priest, 
who,  baring  his  ai*m,  three  times  drew  it  through  the  water, 
makinn:  tlie  sign  of  the  cross.  And  if  this  had  been  ineffect- 
ual,  they  could  scarcely  remain  after  he  had  blown  upon  the 
surface,  making  on  it  the  same  sacred  sign.  The  water  being 
thus  consecrated,  the  child  was  brought  in,  neatly  di'essed  in 
white,  and  presented  by  its  godfather  for  baptism.  And  now 
it  was  stripped  of  every  article  of  clothing,  and  taken  by  the 
priest,  who  held  it  up  before  the  whole  company,  in  order,  I 
presume,  that  all  might  be  wntnesses  to  the  act.  A  small 
bottle  of  oil  was  taken,  and  with  its  contents  the  mfant's  en- 
tu'e  body  was  nibbed.  Tliis  is  not  considered  part  of  the  re- 
ligious rite,  but  is  merely  intended  to  prevent  any  injurious 
effects  of  the  application  of  cold  water  to  its  body  at  so  ten- 
der an  age,  as  is  customary  among  the  Greeks.  And  the  pre- 
caution, if  it  be  of  any  avail,  is  certainly  needed.  The  com- 
mon people  consider  the  performance  of  the  ceremony  al- 
most, if  not  quite,  a  sine  qua  noii  of  salvation,  believing  fully 
in  its  regenerating  influence.  So,  the  more  delicate  the 
babe's  constitution,  the  more  anxious  are  the  parents  to  have 
the  rite  performed  as  early  as  possible.  Notwithstanduig 
all  their  precautions,  however,  I  have  heard  that  great  num- 
bers of  infants  die  yearly  in  consequence  of  the  shock  they 
receive. 

The  act  of  baptism  itself  consisted  m  three  times  entirely 
immersing  the  child.  The  pi-iest  managed  this  veiy  adroitly, 
and  prevented  its  strangling  by  coveiing  its  mouth  and  entire 
face  with  one  of  his  hands.  After  this  was  done  (the  name 
being  given  at  the  same  time),  the  priest  returned  the  crying 
and  shivering  baby  into  the  hands  of  the  godfather  and  the 
others  who  stood  by,  Avho  immediately  wiped  and  dressed  it. 
The  baptism  is  completed  by  the  application  of  a  little  of  the 
*'  holy  unguent"  to  the  baby's  forehead,  ears,  hands,  and  feet. 
This  "holy  imguent"  is,  or  was  untU  lately,  compounded  only 
by  the  Patriarch  at  Constantinople,  and  dispensed  once  a  year 


100  MODERN    GREEK    CUSTOJIS. 

to  all  the  cnurche.''.*  The  child  was  now  taken  away,  and 
the  godfather  distributed  to  each  of  the  persons  present  a 
small,  bright,  silver  coin,  with  the  date  of  the  cuiTent  year, 
and  a  ribbon  passed  through  a  hole  in  it.  The  person  who 
receives  this  piece  of  money  is  bound  to  keep  it  safely,  that 
it  may  remind  him  of  his  having  witnessed  the  baptism  of 
that  child.  And  this  testimony  he  is  expected  to  render, 
if  necessary,  before  men,  and  also  before  the  angels  at  the 
judgment  day.  The  glittering  coin  that  lies  on  the  table  be- 
fore me  as  I  write  these  lines,  its  neat  knot  of  blue  ribbon 
tied  to  it,  recalls  the  image  of  that  little  departed  innocent, 
who  no  longer  needs  here  on  earth  a  ^dtness  to  its  christening. 
The  godfather  bears  all  the  contingent  exjDenses,  which 
were  in  this  case  but  small,  though  sometimes  they  amount 
to  a  considerable  sum.  Hence,  it  is  esteemed  quite  a  mark 
of  friendship  to  be  willing  to  stand  sponsor  for  a  neighbor's 
child.  But  the  most  important  consideration,  by  far,  is  that 
the  connection  thus  formed  is  no  less  binding  than  a  natural 
relationship,  and  forever  precludes  all  intermarriage  between 
those  who  become  so  related  to  each  other,  to  the  same  extent 
as  with  members  of  the  same  stock — that  is,  according  to 
Greek  laAv,  as  far  as  the  ninth  degree,  I  believe. 

FUNEKAL  PROCESSIONS  AND  OFFERINGS  TO  THE  DEAD. 

Look  with  me  for  a  moment  at  the  procession  which  is 
slowly  passing,  on  its  way  to  the  cemetery  beyond  the  Ilissus. 

During  the  summer  months,  while  the  fever  is  making  its 
fearful  ravages  on  the  population  of  this  unhealthy  city,| 
many  such  may  be  counted  every  day. 

*  It  has"  been  the  policy  of  the  Patriarch  and  the  "  Holy  Synod"  to 
attach  the  Greeks  to  the  "Mother  Church"  by  making  tliem  dependent 
in  this  manner  for  the  articles  necessary  for  the  celebration  of  the  ordi- 
nances of  rehgion. 

t  With  a  population  of  about  27,000  souls,  Athens,  in  1851,  had  1105 
deaths ;  while  the  births,  according  to  the  same  official  reports,  were 
only  526.  Evidently  the  jiopulation  of  Athens  at  this  rate  would  soon 
become  extinct,  were  it  not  for  the  gi'eat  influx  of  strangers.  It  is  stated 
that  the  previous  year  there  were  as  many  as  14:00  deaths.  The  gi-eater 
part  of  these  were  undoubtedly  from  Greek  fever.  It  is  a  fact  worthy 
of  note,  that  of  the  52G  children  born  in  1851,  only  ten  were  illegitimate. 
The  same  year  there  were  122  marriages. — ^Eon,  Jan.  30,  1852. 


OFFERIXGS   TO   THE    DEAD.  101 

The  melancholy  nasal  chant  of  the  priests  as  they  come 
along,  betokens  the  approach  of  the  train,  and  as  it  draws 
nearer,  the  litanies  they  recite  become  thstinguishable.  The 
corpse  of  the  deceased  is  borne  in  a  light  wooden  box  or  coffin  ; 
and  the  body,  decorated  ^\\ih  flowers,  and  clothed  in  white,  is 
exposed  to  the  gaze  of  all :  for  the  lid  has  been  removed,  and 
is  carried  by  a  man  or  boy  at  head  of  the  train.  This  lid  has 
invariably  a  large  cross  painted  npon  it.  As  it  approaches 
every  by-stander  reverently  raises  his  hat,  and  stands  uncovered 
until  it  has  passed ;  but  this  mark  of  respect  is  paid  not  to 
the  departed,  but  to  the  sign  of  the  cross,  as  my  Greek  friends 
assure  me.  It  must  be  confessed,  there  is  something  rather 
repulsive  in  this  parading  of  death  tlu'ough  the  thronged  streets 
of  a  city,  especially  when  its  subject  has  been  chosen  from 
among  the  aged,  or  bears  the  marks  of  great  and  recent  suffer- 
ing. Such  is  the  manner  in  which  the  common  people  are 
borne  to  their  last  resting-place :  but  the  death  of  a  bishop 
occasions  much  more  display  of  pomp.  He  is  earned  through 
the  most  public  thoroughfares,  di-essed  as  in  the  discharge  of 
his  ecclesiastical  functions,  and  placed  in  a  sitting  posture 
upon  the  bier.  The  place  of  burial  being  reached,  he  is  in- 
terred in  the  same  position,  a  distinction  allowed  to  no  one 
else. 

The  interest  entertained  by  survivors  for  the  memory  and 
the  souls  of  the  dead,  is  evinced  by  the  prayers  that  are  said 
in  their  behalf,  although  the  Greeks  do  not  profess  to  believe 
in  the  existence  of  a  purgatory.  A  shigular  practice  calls  up 
their  remembrance  yet  more  vi\'idly.  Several  successive  Fri- 
days are  set  apart  as  especially  devoted  to  the  dead.  The  bell 
of  the  little  church  of  Saint  Nicholas  Rangaves,  situated  at  the 
very  base  of  the  Acropolis,  attracted  my  attention  on  one  of 
these  occasions.  Upon  entering  the  church — a  small  edifice, 
scarce  exceeding  in  size  an  ordinary  room — I  found  a  few  per- 
sons waiting  for  the  commencement  of  the  services  ;  the  men 
and  boys  standing  near  tlie  altar,  while  the  women,  as  usual, 
remained  somewhat  farther  off  Ever  and  anon  some  person 
would  come  in,  canyiug  a  small  dish  covered  with  a  napkin, 
and  after  devoutly  crossing  himself,  placed  the  dish  upon  the 
floor  in  front  of  the  screen  of  the  hieron,  or  holy  place.     These 


102  JIODERN    GREEK    CUSTOMS. 

plates  contained  a  peculiar  sort  of  cake,  which  is  called  Collyva. 
It  is,  in  fact,  an  offering  made  to  the  manes  of  the  dead,  and 
can  certainly  claim  a  pagan  rather  than  a  Christian  origin. 
It  is  cai'cfully  made,  the  principal  ingredients  being  boiled 
wheat  and  currants.  The  surface  of  the  top  is  ornamented 
A\ath  various  degrees  of  neatness,  by  means  of  the  eatable  red 
grains  of  the  pomegranate,  or  almonds,  or  any  thing  of  the 
kind.  These  cakes  were  sent  by  the  relatives  of  those  who  had 
died  within  a  year  or  two,  and  if  handsome  were  allowed  to 
remain  before  the  chancel.  If  more  commonly  prepared,  the 
contents  were  thrown  together  into  a  basket.  In  every  plate 
ai  collyva,  and  m  every  basket,  were  stuck  a  number  of  little 
lighted  waxen  tapers,  which  burned  during  the  service. 

The  notion  of  the  common  people  respecting  this  usage  was 
expressed  to  me  by  a  person  whom  I  asked  to  explain  its  pur- 
port. "The  soul  of  the  deceased,"  said  he,  "for  whom  the 
collyva  is  offered,  comes  down  during  the  service,  and  eats  a 
single  grain  of  the  wheat."  But  what  manner  of  good  this 
could  do  the  disembodied  spirit  he  was  not  able  to  explain ; 
nor  did  he  give  me  any  satisfactory  reason  for  offering  so  large 
a  quantity,  when  the  spirit  is  so  moderate  in  its  desires.  The 
parish  priest  during  the  short  service  I  attended  took  notice 
of  the  names  of  all  those  for  whom  collyva  had  been  offered. 
At  the  conclusion  he  helped  himself  to  his  share  of  the  cakes, 
after  the  spirits  had  enjoyed  an  ample  opportunity  of  eating  to 
their  hearts'  content.  The  rest  was  distributed  by  handfuls 
to  every  person  present,  to  be  carried  away  and  eaten  at  homo 
— a  feast  for  the  dead. 


■  '■> 


VIEW   OP  ATHENS. 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

THE  COURT  AND  POLITICS  OF  GREECE. 

The  amval  of  the  American  frigate  Cumberland  in  the 
harbor  of  Piraeus,  followed  shortly  by  the  steamship  San 
Jacinto,  produced  some  commotion  in  the  city  of  Athens. 
An  intervention  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  in  behalf  of 
Dr.  King  had  been  threatened,  but  was  not  generally  expected. 
No  American  vessel  of  war  had  done  more  than  touch  at 
Piraeus  for  a  number  of  years  past ;  and  multitudes  had  never 
even  seen  one  of  our  frigates.  The  unusual  circumstance  was, 
therefore,  set  do\\Ti  at  once  as  having  some  connection  with 
the  trial  and  imprisonment  of  the  only  representative  of  the 
United  States  -^\nthin  the  boundaries  of  the  kmgdom. 

The  Hon.  ]Mr.  Marsh,  American  IVIinister  to  Constantinople, 
having  been  commissioned  to  investigate  the  heavj'  charges  of 


104:        THE  COURT  AND  POLITICS  OF  GREECE. 

injustice  preferred  against  the  courts  of  law  by  the  joint  testi- 
mony of  all  the  Americans  residing  at  Athens,  was  a  pas- 
senger on  board  the  San  Jacinto.  Though  not  accredited  to 
the  Court  of  Athens  at  this  time,  his  official  character  ren- 
dered it  imperatively  necessary  that  there  should  be  a  formal 
presentation  to  the  queen,  who  was  regent  during  the  tempo- 
rary absence  of  King  Otho  in  Germany.  To  arrange  the  pre- 
liminaries, Dr.  King  and  myself  called  on  Mr.  Colocotroni, 
the  master  of  ceremonies  (aularches),  whom  we  found  living  in 
very  simple  style,  in  the  northei*n  quarter  of  the  town.  He 
was  a  middle  aged  man,  of  slender  form,  and  pleasing  address. 
The  interview  was  a  short  one,  and  we  left,  Mr.  Colocotroni 
promising  to  send  early  notice  of  the  time  when  it  would  suit 
the  queen's  convenience  to  receive  the  Amei'ican  Minister  and 
officers. 

Meanwhile  an  amusing  incident  occun'cd  at  Pirteus.  A 
young  American  lieutenant  had  long  been  desirous  of  procur- 
ing a  block  of  genuine  Pentelican  marble,  to  serve  as  a  pedes- 
tal for  the  bust  of  his  father-in-law,  a  warm  admirer  of  Greece. 
In  the  garden  of  a  friend  in  Athens,  he  found  a  piece  that 
exactly  suited  his  purpose.  The  owner  cheerfully  presented 
him  with  it,  and  had  it  neatly  inclosed  in  a  box.  One  even- 
ing, after  a  call  in  the  city,  the  officer  placed  it  in  his  carnage 
and  rode  down  to  Pirteus,  expecting  to  find  one  of  the  ship's 
boats  in  waiting.  It  was  late,  however,  and  none  were  to  be 
found ;  but  there  were  other  boats  at  hand,  and  he  deposited 
himself  and  his  prize  in  one  of  these.  On  reaching  the  fi-igate 
he  stepped  on  board,  telling  the  boatmen  to  bring  his  box  on 
deck.  Instead  of  doing  so,  they  demanded  an  exorbitant  fare  ; 
and:  when  he  refused  to  pay  it,  quietly  shoved  off.  and  put 
back  to  shore.  The  lieutenant,  who  was  on  deck  and  un- 
armed, was  unable  to  stop  tlie  i-ogues ;  and  retired  to  his 
state-room  for  the  night,  as  may  be  imagined,  considerably 
vexed  at  the  occurrence.  Early  the  next  morning,  application 
Avas  made  for  the  arrest  of  the  dishonest  boatmen.  They  were 
readily  identified,  and  in  their  house  was  found  the  box,  which 
they  had  conveyed  thitlier  with  no  little  trouble,  and  had 
broken  open  to  discover  its  contents.  They  had  evidently 
been  deceived  by  its  great  weight ;  and  doubtless  their  chagrin 


IMIESENTATION    AT    COURT.  •  105 

was  considerable,  when  instead  of  a  small  treasure  in  gold  or 
silver,  tliey  toiind  inside  nothing  but  a  worthless  block  of  stone. 

Butufor  an  unlucky  discovery,  the  box  would  now  have  been 
restored  to  its  owner.  The  marble  had  once  been  embedded 
in  some  church  or  chapel,  as  Avas  manifest  from  a  large 
I>yzantine  cross  rudely  carved  on  one  face.  The  custom- 
house oihcers  declared  that  this  cross  was  old,  and  that  the 
stone  came  luider  the  category  of  antiquities,  whose  exporta- 
tion is  prohibited  by  law.  There  was  no  use  in  arguing  the 
matter  with  them.  The  only  resource  Avas  to  send  up  to  the 
city  for  Mr.  Pittakes,  the  General  Superintendent  of  Antiqui- 
ties ;  who,  on  his  arrival,  laughed  at  the  simplicity  of  the 
officials,  and  readily  granted  permission  to  export  that  block, 
and  as  many  more  such  as  could  be  procured. 

On  the  day  appointed  by  the  queen,  we  rode  to  the  palace, 
and  were  ushered  into  the  waiting-chamber,  upon  the  second 
story  near  the  northeastern  corner.  Here  we  were  met  by 
Mr.  Colocotroni,  who  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Marsh,  Commo- 
dore Stringham,  and  fourteen  other  officers.  Having  been 
desired  by  Mr.  M.  to  assist  him  in  the  translation  of  the  vari- 
ous Greek  documents  relating  to  Dr.  King's  case,  it  was 
thought  pi'oper  by  ]\L'.  Colocotroni,  that  I  should  be  pre- 
sented at  the  same  time ;  which  would  otherAvise  have  been 
out  of  order.  The  usual  routine  of  commonplace  remarks 
having  been  gone  through  on  either  side,  Mr.  Colocotroni 
seated  himself  by  my  side,  and  inquired  privately  respecting 
the  rank  and  names  of  the  several  officers ;  for  the  purpose, 
as  I  afterward  learned,  of  informing  the  queen  on  the  subject, 
and  furnishing  her  with  appropriate  staple  of  remark.  Pie 
then  retired ;  and  after  a  brief  interval  returned  and  ushered 
us  into  the  adjoining  presentation-room. 

Queen  Amelia  was  standing  near  the  centre  of  the  room, 
which,  though  on  no  great  scale  of  magnificence,  was  hand- 
,  somely  decorated  and  furnished.  She  was  attired  very 
tastefully :  her  dress  was  not  remarkable  for  costliness ;  and 
she  wore  but  little  jewelr}^  Her  height  is  good  ;  and  though 
well-formed,  she  is  rather  disposed  to  be  fleshy.  By  most 
persons  she  is  considered  handsome.  She  is  certainly  better- 
looking  than  most  of  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe.     At  the 

E  2 


106  THE    COURT    AND    POLITICS    OF    OKEECE. 

age  of  thirty- two  or  three  she  had,  however,  naturally  lost 
much  of  her  former  beauty.  A  few  paces  behind  the  queen 
was  the  grande  mcutresse,  Madame  Pulsky,  who  during  the 
entire  ceremony  of  presentation  stood  in  the  same  spot,  im- 
movable as  a  statue. 

On  entering  the  room  each  individual  bowed  profoundly, 
and  then  all  ranged  themselves  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  oc- 
cupying positions  corresponding  to  their  official  rank.  Mr. 
Colocotroni  first  presented  Mr.  Marsh ;  and  the  queen  having 
advanced,  stood  for  some  five  or  ten  minutes  engaged  in  con- 
versation with  him.  Then  IVIr.  Marsh  accompanied  her  along 
the  line,  introducing  each  one  in  succession.  To  the  superior 
officers  a  few  questions  were  addressed,  which  had  to  be  in- 
terpreted to  those  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  know  a 
single  word  of  French — the  language  that  the  queen  had 
chosen  to  make  use  of.  The  junior  officers  were,  for  the  most 
part,  honored  with  but  a  single  interrogatory ;  and  that  re- 
lated to  their  own  department  of  naval  service.  The  cap- 
tain of  the  marines,  for  instance,  was  merely  asked  how 
many  men  he  commanded,  or  some  other  similarly  trivial 
question. 

I  have  no  doubt  all  were  equally  delighted  when  the  awk- 
ward ceremony  was  dispatched,  and  a  bow  from  the  queen 
announced  that  we  were  at  liberty  to  retire  from  the  royal 
presence.  If  our  entrance  had  been  punctilious,  our  departure 
was  stiU  more  so ;  and  we  literally  bowed  ourselves  out  of  the 
room  ;  for  it  would  have  been  a  gross  violation  of  all  courtly 
etiquette  to  turn  our  backs  upon  the  queen.  Although  the 
retrograde  motion  was  neither  convenient  nor  graceful,  we 
made  good  our  retreat  to  the  door.  Most  of  the  party  seemed 
much  pleased  with  the  result  of  the  interview,  the  conse- 
quence of  which  was  an  invitation  sent  to  the  American  ]VIin- 
ister.  Commodore,  and  Captains,  to  dine  at  the  palace  on  a 
specified  day.  Strange  to  say,  only  IVIr.  Marsh  and  one  of 
the  captains  were  forthcoming ;  the  attractions  of  royalty  not 
being  sufficiently  powerful  to  induce  the  Commodore  to  post- 
pone his  departure  for  Constantinople,  where  the  presence  of 
an  American  frigate  was  imperatively  demanded  to  protect 
our  citizens. 


KING    OTH<j.  107 

The  king  enjoys  a  far  smaller  share  of  personal  popularity 
than  Queen  Amelia.  Nor  has  it  been  on  the  increase  of  late 
years.  Chosen  by  the  three  powers  of  England,  France,  and 
Russia,  formerly  in  aUiance  to  form  a  protectorate  of  Greece, 
he  was  elevated  to  the  throne  while  a  mere  youth,  after  the  as- 
sassination of  the  "  Governor,"  Count  Capo  d'Istrias.  The 
crown  had  pre\aously  been  offered  to  the  young  Leopold,  now 
King  of  Belgium ;  who  was  unwilling  to  accept  it,  unless  cer- 
tain of  the  hearty  good-will  of  the  people.  Well  would  it  have 
been  for  Greece  had  she  been  so  fortunate  as  to  receive  such  a 
ruler!  Otho  was  the  son  of  Louis,  late  King  of  Bavaria,  and 
a  younger  brother  of  the  present  occupant  of  the  throne.  He 
was,  consequently,  educated  a  strict  Roman  Catholic,  and  en- 
tirely under  the  influence  of  the  priesthood.  From  the  date 
of  his  arrival  in  Greece  until  the  first  of  June,  1835,  his  twen- 
tieth birth-day,  the  government  was  administered  by  a  Ger- 
man Regency,  whose  conduct  has  been  regarded  in  a  veiy  dif- 
ferent light  by  those  who  have  viewed  it  from  opposite  sides. 
The  firijt  eight  years  of  King  Otho's  reign  were  a  continuation 
of  the  same  line  of  policy  with  that  previously  pursued.  With- 
in eighteen  months  after  his  accession,  he  gained  the  hand  of 
the  princess  Amelia,  of  Oldenburg,  w^ho  was  some  four  years 
younger  than  himself,  and  a  Protestant  in  point  of  religion. 
The  Regency  had  filled  most  of  the  posts  of  honor  and  emolu- 
ment with  their  own  countrymen.  Under  the  young  monarch 
there  was  a  German  ministry :  German  generals  commanded 
troops,  many  of  whom  were  themselves  Germans :  and  not  a 
few  professors  in  the  university  were  of  foreign  birth. 

The  fact  that  both  king  and  queen  were  strangers,  as  well 
in  faith  as  in  nationality,  to  the  great  mass  of  their  subjects, 
was  never  palatable  to  the  Greeks,  who  regard  their  religion  as 
a  precious  heir-loom,  and  as  the  bond  of  union  in  the  Hellenic 
state.  But  it  Avas  quite  insupportable  to  the  poor  but  proud 
revolutionary  soldiers  and  klefts,  to  see  a  horde  of  foreigners 
reaping  the  rewards  of  their  toils,  and  occupying  the  situations 
to  which  they  considered  themselves  entitled.  A  constitution, 
too,  had  been  promised  from  time  to  time ;  but  it  was  a  mere 
promise.  The  monarchy  was  in  fact  autocratic :  the  king's 
edict  having  the  full  force  of  law. 


108  thp:  coup.t  and  politics  of  greece. 

At  length  the  people  grew  tired  of  waiting  for  the  change 
that  was  to  put  an  end  to  the  disorders  complained  of.  On 
one  of  the  first  days  of  September,  1843,  a  crowd  gathered  in 
front  of  tlie  palace,  gradually  increasing  by  fresh  arrivals  from 
town  and  country,  till  the  spacious  square  Avas  one  dense  mass 
of  human  beings,  all  loudly  demanding  a  constitution.  It 
was  now  no  time  for  delay,  and  promises  could  no  longer 
avail.  The  troops  themselves  had  caught  the  general  enthu- 
siasm, and  siding  with  the  citizens,  wei-e  loudest  in  their  vo- 
ciferations. Cannon  were  even  pointed  at  the  palace,  and 
Callerges,  who  sat  on  one  of  them,  threatened  to  fire,  if,  at 
the  expiration  of  a  few  hours,  the  king  still  refused  to  satisfy 
the  popular  desire.  Otho  was  disposed  to  be  obstinate.  No- 
thing was  farther  from  his  wishes,  than  to  be  trammeled  by  a 
constitution,  and  to  share  his  legislative  functions  with  the 
representatives  of  the  nation.  His  wife,  though  no  less  at- 
tached than  himself  to  unlimited  power,  grasped  the  full  con- 
sequences of  resistance ;  and  is  said  to  have  begged  him  with 
tears  to  bend,  rather  than  break,  before  the  approaching  storm. 
Perceiving  that  the  people  were  in  no  mood  to  be  trifled  with, 
Otho  reluctantly  yielded.  The  3d  of  September  (old  style)  is 
annually  kept  as  a  festival  to  commemorate  the  auspicious 
event.  A  representation  of  the  people  was  at  once  called  to 
draft  a  proper  constitution;  which,  on  the  18th  of  the  next 
March,  was  solemnly  sworn  to  by  the  king,  in  the  presence 
of  all  the  officers  of  the  government. 

In  accordance  with  this  instrument,*  the  legislative  poAvers 
are  vested  in  a  Congress  composed  of  two  bodies,  the  Senate 
{gerousi(i),  and  the  House  of  Representatives  {honk).  The 
former,  which  is  intended  to  be  the  conservative  branch, 
should  be  composed  of  not  less  then  twenty-seven  members, 
nor  of  more  than  one  half  the  number  of  representatives  in 
the  other  House,  save  Avith  its  o\\ni  consent.  The  senators 
are  chosen  for  life  by  the  king ;  but  the  classes  of  individuals 

*  A  Greek  work  entitled  "Hippodamus  ;  Princi]iles  of  Constitutional 
Law,  or  the  Greek  Constitution  Annotated,  by  K.  Fappadoukas,"  con- 
tains a  lucid  and  able  commentary.  The  true  author  is  reported  to  be 
the  well-known  Demetrius  Kyriakou,  some  time  Minister  of  Justice,  one 
of  the  best  lawyers  of  Athens. 


CONSTITrTIONAI.    PKO  VISIONS.  109 

from  which  they  may  be  selected,  are  carefully  enumerated. 
They  are  chiefly  those  who  commanded  the  armies  in  the 
great  revolutionary  struggle,  or  have  occupied  high  stations 
of  honor  and  trust  in  the  civil,  judicial,  and  military  depart- 
ments for  a  specified  period,  varying  from  four  to  ten  years.* 
The  senator  must  be  at  least  forty  years  of  age.  The  other 
House  is  composed  of  the  representatives  of  the  people,  one  be- 
ing elected  for  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  Their  num- 
ber can  not  be  less  than  eighty.  No  male  citizen  above  twenty- 
five  years,  with  the  exception  of  the  clergy,  is  debarred  from  the 
right  of  voting ;  but  none  are  eligible  to  office  until  they  are 
thirty  years  old.  The  members  of  both  houses  are  remunerated 
for  their  services,  the  senators  receiving  $83,  and  the  represent- 
atives S43  per  month,  during  the  session.  The  intrusion  of 
foreigners  into  otfice  is  effectually  precluded  hy  the  provisions 
of  the  constitution,  which  expressly  declare  that  no  foreign 
army  shall  l)e  allowed  to  pass  through,  or  be  maintained  in 
Greece,  unless  permission  be  specially  granted  by  law.  To 
obviate  futui'e  inconvenience  from  the  anomaly  of  a  king 
professing  a  religion  different  from  that  of  the  great  mass  of 
the  inhabitants,  the  successor  to  the  throne  must  embrace  the 
Greek  religion.  The  crowns  of  Greece  and  Bavaria,  it  is 
farther  stipulated,  shall  never  be  united  on  the  same  head. 
The  king's  annual  stipend  is  fixed  by  law  at  one  million 
drachms  ($166,000). 

Such  are  some  of  the  most  important  provisions  of  the  Con- 
stitution, inaugurating  a  government  theoretically  pei'haps  the 
most  liberal  in  Europe.  All  citizens  are  equal  in  the  eye  of 
the  law ;  for  the  creation  of  titles  of  nobility  is  expressly  for- 
bidden, and  there  is  no  room  for  an  hereditary  aristocracy. 
And  though  the  prevailing  or  established  religion  is  declared 
to  be  the  "-Orthodox  Oriental  Church  of  Christ,"  yet  one  of 
the  chief  excellences  of  the  Constitution  is  its  liberality  to- 
ward other  creeds.  "Every  known  religion  is  tolerated,  and 
its  worship  conducted  without  hindrance  under  the  protection 
of  the  law,  proselytism  and  every  other  encroachment  upon 
the  dominant  religion  being  forbidden."  "Every  one  may 
publish  his  opinions  orally,  in  writing,  and  by  the  press,  ob- 
*  See  Article  72  of  the  ConKtitntion, 


110  THJi    COURT   AND   POLITICS    OF    GREECE. 

serving  the  laws  of  the  State."*  How  these  principles  have 
been  violated  in  Dr.  King's  condemnation  I  shall  elsewhere 
narrate.  Meanwhile,  the  checks  upon  the  power  of  the 
crown  are  apparently  as  great  as  arc  compatible  -with  the  ex- 
istence of  the  regal  system.  The  budget  is,  of  course,  submit- 
ted by  the  ministry  to  the  chambers.  As  the  latter  alone  have 
the  right  to  provide  the  revenue  necessary  for  carrying  on 
the  government,  by  authorizing  the  levy  of  taxes  and  the  col- 
lection of  duties,  the  entire  control  of  the  Executive  is  appar- 
ently intrusted  to  their  hands.  The  ministers  are  made  per- 
sonally responsible  for  their  actions ;  and  all  members  of  the 
royal  family  are  excluded  from  the  cabinet,  in  order  that  they 
may  not  be  liable  to  impeachment. 

In  practice,  however,  the  throne  may  be  said,  under  the 
present  administration,  to  be  almost  unrestrained  by  the  pop- 
ular element  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  measures  it  has 
determined  upon.  It  is  notorious  that  the  government  of 
Otho  is  generally  unpopular  throughout  the  land,  and  yet  it 
constantly  succeeds  in  securing  a  majority  in  the  chambers 
sufficient  to  attain  its  ends.  The  representatives  are,  it  is 
true,  chosen  by  the  people  at  large,  but  the  government  is 
rarely  at  a  loss  for  means  to  obtain  a  favorable  result.  Un- 
der the  pretext  of  allowing  the  greatest  freedom  for  voters,  the 
election  is  made  by  ballot ;  but  during  the  eight  days  of  the 
election  the  ballot-boxes  are  left  in  the  keeping  of  an  election- 
committee,  "f"  In  some  cases  the  boxes  are  known  to  have  con- 
tained a  number  of  votes  larger  than  the  entire  number  of  regis- 
tered voters  in  the  district.  During  the  election,  as  well  as 
before,  the  greatest  exertions  are  made  by  all  the  government 
officers,  in  conjunction  with  the  friends  of  the  candidates,  to 
influence  the  people  to  vote  for  those  who  are  known  to  be 
most  favorable  to  the  measures  of  the  king.  But  even  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  there  can  not  exist  for  any  great 
length  of  time  a  numerous  and  determined  opposition.  Every 
method — bribes,  offers  of  promotion,  and  of  the  patronage  of 
friends,  are  employed,  and  most  of  those  elected  are  soon  in- 
duced to  yield  support  to  the  government. 

*  Articles  1  and  10. 

t  Act  to  regulate  the  Election  of  Renrescntatives.  tit.  3,  arts.  18.  22. 


A    POLITICAL    MEASURE.  1  I  1 

An  instance  of  the  determination  of  the  ministry  to  cany 
its  plans  at  any  cost  was  seen  in  the  passage  of  a  certain  law 
in  the  summer  of  ISol.  Its  object  was  the  creation  of  a  large 
number  of  cpliori,  or  officers  for  the  collection  of  the  revenue. 
Its  introduction  was  the  signal  for  opposition  from  those  who 
were  not  attached  to  the  courtly  party,  and  saw  no  necessity 
for  so  considerable  an  mcrease  of  the  places  in  the  gift  of  the 
throne.  It  passed  the  Lower  House,  however ;  but  on  being 
brought  up  in  the  Senate,  although  the  kuig  had,  in  anticipa- 
tion, created  three  or  four  new  members,  that  body  refused  to 
concur  in  the  proposed  act.  Thereupon  the  king  prorogued 
both  Houses  for  the  space  of  some  forty  days.  In  the  mean 
while  ten  or  moi-e  additional  senators  were  appointed,  for  the 
most  part  from  the  officers  of  the  king's  own  household,  or 
from  the  ministry,  and  all  of  them  persons  devoted  to  himself. 
The  party  thus  reinforced  was  now  enabled  to  reconsider  the 
bill  in  the  Senate,  and  it  was  passed  in  accordance  with  the 
desires  of  the  ministiy.  In  this  manner,  and  by  means  of  the 
most  flagrant  con-uption,  the  thi'one  is  usually  able  to  control 
with  ease  the  deliberations  of  the  legislative  bodies.  And 
this  is  much  facilitated  by  the  Constitution,  which,  although 
it  declares  that  representatives  cease  to  be  such  the  moment 
they  accept  any  post  under  the  government,  yet  pennits  ex- 
ecutive officers  to  be  elected  representatives.*  Thus  it  hap- 
pens that  many  military  officers  are  at  the  same  time  mem- 
bers of  one  of  the  legislative  bodies,  where,  as  they  retain 
their  commissions  merely  during  the  sovereign's  pleasure,  they 
constitute  the  warmest  adherents  of  the  crown.  A  remarka- 
ble clause  is,  however,  inserted  in  the  Constitution,  providing 
that  in  such  a  case  the  individual  is  not  entitled  to  the  emol- 
uments of  both  offices,  but  only  to  those  of  the  more  lucrative 
of  the  two.f 

In  respect  to  foreign  relations,  the  politicians  of  Greece  may 
be  divided  into  three  parties — the  Russian  or  Isapist,  the  En- 
glish, and  the  French :  a  result  which  the  acute  mind  of  Co- 
ray  long  smce  foresaw  and  deplored.  For  it  was  not.  he  ar- 
gued, until  Greece  was  divided  into  the  Macedonian  and  anti- 
Macedonian  parties  that  Philip  found  an  entering  wedge  for 
*  Article  64.  t  Article  68. 


112        THE  COURT  AND  POLITICS  OF  GREECE. 

his  ambition.  The  Russian  party  is  undoubtedly  the  most 
numerous  and  influential.  It  stands  forth  the  advocate  of  a 
close  political  and  religious  connection  with  Russia.  Hence, 
almost  the  entire  clergy  are,  irom  policy  or  conviction,  among 
its  adherents.  Ambition  to  restore  a  Greek  empire  embracing 
all  vi^ho  profess  the  Greek  creed  and  speak  the  Greek  language, 
is  its  animating  principle.  Despairing  of  success  in  this  vast 
undertaking  with  their  own  unaided  resources,  tlie  Napists 
cast  about  them  for  some  more  powerful  ally.  France  and 
England  are  unfortunately  too  much  interested  in  the  main- 
tenance of  the  balance  of  power,  to  offer  any  hope  of  assist- 
ance, or  even  of  countenance.  The  same  policy  that  excluded 
from  the  map  of  the  new  state  of  Greece  one  half  of  the  terri- 
tory that  had  asserted  and  upheld  its  independence,  restoring 
it  once  more  to  the  Sublime  Porte,  would  never  help  to  weak- 
en and  destroy  the  Ottoman  Empire.  On  the  other  hand,  a 
community  of  religion  naturally  draws  the  Greeks  to  look  to 
the  great  Russian  empire  for  means  to  realize  their  ambitious 
projects.  Some  are  simple  enough  to  imagine  that,  after  con- 
quering Constantinople  at  his  own  expense,  the  Czar  will  be 
so  generous  as  to  make  it  over  without  equivalent  to  his 
friends  the  Greeks.  \^1iile  others  assert  that  he  will  annex 
Asia  Minor  to  the  kingdom  of  Greece,  and  set  one  of  his 
younger  sons  over  the  united  empire. 

The  English  and  French  parties  are  the  advocates  of  dem- 
ocratic principles.  To  them  belong  the  most  liberal  and  in- 
telligent statesmen,  the  Tricoupis,  the  Mavrocordatos,  and,  in 
general,  the  men  of  the  largest  patriotism.  But  they  are  in 
a  minority,  and  their  influence  can  scarcely  be  a  positive  one 
for  good.  They  rather  counteract  the  ill-advised  measures  of 
the  dominant  politicians. 

The  king,  for  his  part,  identifies  himself  with  none  of  these 
sections,  and  strives,  as  far  as  possible,  to  employ  them  all  as 
tools  for  the  furtherance  of  his  plans.  The  court  is  given  to  gay- 
cty  and  pleasure,  and  the  revenue,  which  should  be  expended 
for  the  benefit  of  the  nation,  is  lavished  on  balls  and  entertain- 
ments. The  queen,  Amelia,  has  the  reputation  of  being  the 
best  rider  and  dancer  at  Athens.  Her  passion  for  the  latter 
accomplishment  is  such,  that  whoever  can  dance  well  is  a  wel- 


BAD    STATE    OF    KOADS.  118 

come  ijuest  at  the  public  balls,  and  can  readily  pecnre  her  as  a 
partner. 

Meanwhile,  the  countiy  is  suffering  for  the  want  of  atten- 
tion paid  by  the  government  to  the  improvement  of  its  natu- 
ral resources.  Probably  the  greatest  obstacle  to  the  prosper- 
ity of  Greece  is  to  be  found  in  the  difficulty  of  the  interchange 
of  commodities.  No  countiy  in  the  world  stands  in  more 
pressing  need  of  good  roads :  in  none  are  they  more  difficult 
of  construction.  Successive  ranges  of  mountains,  with  their 
branching  spurs,  divide  the  cultivable  ground  into  a  thousand 
small  valleys,  each  deprived  of  easy  communication  -with  its 
neighbors.  From  one  tow^nship  to  the  next  nothing  can  be 
transported  but  by  the  horses  and  mules  accustomed  to  climb 
the  rugged  mountain-paths,  and  tread  fu'mly  on  the  ladder-like 
ascents.  The  only  caiTi age-roads  in  Greece  are  a  few  short 
ones  about  Athens,  one,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  long,  near  La- 
mia, and  others  at  Corinth,  Chalcis,  and  a  few  other  large 
towns.  The  ordinary  mode  of  transportation  is  so  expensive 
that  it  can  not  be  much  employed,  nor  is  it  available  for  any 
but  the  most  valuable  products.  In  this  way  it  happens  that 
Greece  is  often  compelled  to  import  Avheat  for  its  sea-board 
towns,  whereas,  at  the  distance  of  but  a  day's  journey  inland, 
tliere  is,  or  might  be  produced  enough  to  furnish  an  ample 
supply.  With  a  revenue  of  twenty-one  or  two  millions  of 
drachms  (;S3, 500,000),  obtained  from  its  million  subjects,  the 
government  is  unable,  or  unAvilling,  to  expend  even  a  million 
annually  upon  the  most  indispensable  improvements.  The 
demi,  or  towns,  on  the  other  hand,  are  too  poor,  too  ignorant, 
or  can  not  sufficiently  combine  their  efforts  to  construct  and 
maintain  good  roads. 

Yet  while  such  have  been  the  shortcomings  of  the  govern- 
ment, there  are  other  respects  in  which  it  is  entitled  to  the 
highest  commendation.  It  can  not  be  denied  that  it  has  suc- 
ceeded in  destropng  many  relics  of  a  dai'ker  age.  In  Maina, 
particularly,  it  has  broken  up  the  tyrannical  and  lawless  clans, 
whose  perpetual  wTanglings  and  hereditary  animosities  among 
themselves,  made  the  entire  district  the  scene  of  oft-recurring 
deeds  of  bloodshed.  To  appreciate  the  value  of  the  change,  one 
should  hear  some  of  the  sanguinary  recitals  that  are  yet  cur- 


114  THE    OOrRT    AND    TOOTICS    OF    GREECK. 

rent  among  the  people.  The  /clefts,  or  mountain  robbers, 
from  whose  depredations  no  village  was  safe,  have  now  been 
mostly  brought  to  justice,  or  expelled.  For  years  none  have 
been  heard  of  in  Pelopoimesus.  The  few  that  remain  infest  the 
mountains  forming  the  boundary  line  of  Turkey,  or  the  sparsely 
inhabited  districts  of  Acaniania  and  ^tolia.  It  is  true  that 
in  reaching  this  end  much  needless  suffering  has  been  inflict- 
ed, by  the  rapacity  and  oppression  of  the  soldiers  and  petty 
officers  quartered  upon  the  villages  in  the  \-icinity  of  the  rob- 
bers; but  this  was  to  be  expected,  and  it  has  been  merely 
temporary  in  its  duration.  By  far  the  greatest  eulogium, 
however,  that  can  with  truth  be  conferred  on  the  government 
of  King  Otho,  is  that  it  has  spared  no  expense  or  efforts  to  dif- 
fuse education  and  intelligence  among  the  people.  Henceforth 
no  one  need  remain  in  ignorance  except  from  his  own  choice. 
To  the  diligent  a  free  course  of  instruction  is  offered,  extend- 
ing from  the  primaiy  school  to  the  university.  Tlie  present 
system  of  education  promises  to  make  Greece  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  and  well-informed  nations  of  Europe  ;  and  the  light 
of  literature  and  science  is  again  commencing  to  dawn  upon 
its  ancient  seat  of  Athens. 

Toward  religion  the  government  assumes  rather  an  attitude 
of  unconcern  than  of  partiality.  The  king  and  queen  have 
respectively  their  Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant  chaplains  ;• 
but  otherwise  they  appear  quite  indifferent  to  the  subject. 
It  is  more  to  please  the  bigotry  of  the  priesthood,  than  to 
gratify  any  preferences  of  their  own,  that  any  infringements 
upon  the  freedom  of  religious  worship  have  been  countenanced. 


A   GREEK   ClIUKCH. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  GREEK  CHURCH. 

A  CIRCUMSTANCE  that  adds  to  the  interest  and  importance 
of  the  consideration  of  the  religious  state  of  Greece,  is  the  in- 
timate connection  which  tlie  prevalent  faith  has  ever  sustain- 
ed with  the  national  fortunes.  To  one  even  Avho  should  feel 
no  concern  in  a  subject  most  vital  to  the  welfare  of  individuals, 
the  consequence  of  its  political  bearings  would  commend  it  for 
careful  scrutiny.  There  are  few  facts  in  histoiy  more  striking 
than  the  tenacity  with  which  the  Eastern  Churches  have  clung 
to  their  religious  belief,  through  ages  beset  with  temptations 
and  perils  :  when  they  were  exposed,  not  only  to  the  seduc- 
tive influences  of  power  and  wealth,  but,  at  times  also,  to  more 
open  trials,  under  the  form  of  political  disfranchisement  and 
persecution.  This  steadfast  adherence  to  their  ancient  tenets 
it  was,  that  alone  preserved  the  nationality  of  the  Greeks,  dur- 
ing their  subjection  to  the  Mussulman  power ;  this  it  was  that 
rendered  the  resuscitation  of  their  separate  existence  possible. 
It  is  even  now  the  sole  connecting  link  between  the  Hellenic 
kingdom  and  the  provinces  that  are  yet  enslaved. 

The  Greek  denomination,  compinsing  a  vast  majority  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Russian  Empire,  in  addition  to  seven  or 
eight  millions  in  the  Turkish  dominions,  embraces,  probablv. 


IIG  THE    GREEK    CIIUKCH. 

between  sixty  and  seventy  millions  of  souls.  Compared,  how- 
evei",  with  the  body  of  Protestants,  whose  niunbers  are  but 
little  superior,  the  Greek  Church  can  scarcely  be  said  to  ex- 
ert a  sensible  influence  upon  the  intellect  of  the  world.  It  is 
but  just  awaking  from  that  lethargy  in  Avhich  the  East  has 
for  centuries  been  plunged.  It  produces  no  theologians  of  any 
note,  and  it  has  made  no  contributions  to  current  literature. 
The  clergy,  instead  of  being,  as  in  the  West,  among  the  best- 
informed  members  of  the  community,  have  sunk  to  the  com- 
mon level ;  or,  often,  seem  to  be  the  enemies  of  learning  and 
iutelligence.  It  is  this  that  adds  so  much  to  the  singularity 
of  the  fact,  that,  tried  by  the  test  of  purity  of  doctrine,  the 
Greek  Chui'ch  is  so  far  superior  to  the  Eoman  Catholic. 

In  many  respects  the  two  Churches  closely  resemble  each 
other ;  and  in  none  more  than  in  their  hierarchical  systems. 
Yet  even  here  there  are  striking  points  of  contrast,  which 
point  out  the  Oriental  as  by  far  the  less  corrupt.  It  has  never 
allowed  an  ecclesiastical  authority  to  arrogate  supreme  do- 
minion in  the  Church.  The  four  Archbishops  of  Constanti- 
nople, Alexandria,  Antioch,  and  Jerusalem,  have,  it  is  true, 
obtained,  under  the  title  of  Patriarchs,  an  acknowledged  as- 
cendency over  the  other  bishops  and  archbishops,  lint  the 
gi'ound  of  this  pre-eminence,  as  stated  in  the  acts  of  Councils, 
is  merely  the  existence  of  the  ciistom  of  attributing  to  the 
prelates  of  those  cities  a  gi-eat  degree  of  honor.  Consequently 
they  have  never  claimed  a  more  direct  apostolic  succession, 
an  absolute  power,  or  infallil)ility.  The  Patriarch,  by  his 
own  confession,  is  simply  a  superior  bishop,  basing  his  pre- 
tensions, at  farthest,  upon  the  decrees  of  the  Councils. 

Until  1821,  the  Church  of  Greece  retained  a  close  connec- 
tion with  the  "  Holy  Synod"  of  Constantinople,  "\\nien,  how- 
ever, the  Kevolutionary  War  broke  out,  the  Patriarch,  who 
was  suspected — no  doubt  with  justice — of  friendliness  to  the 
cause  of  freedom,  fell  a  victim  to  the  jealousy  of  the  Porte ; 
and  another,  a  mere  creature  of  the  government,  was  in- 
stalled in  his  place.  The  clergy  of  Greece,  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Germanos,  Bishop  of  Patras,  had  taken  a  prominent 
part  in  the  revolt.  To  reduce  them  to  submission,  the  spirit- 
ual influence   of  the  Patriarch  was  invoked.     After  ha\-in2; 


SEPARATION    FROM    THE    PATRIARCH.  117 

fulminated,  near  the  commencement  of  the  conflict,  an  edict 
of  excommunication  against  all  the  belligerent  Greeks,  the 
Patriarch  and  his  8}Tiod,  on  the  20th  of  Februaiy  (March  3d, 
Is.  S.),  1828,  issued  a  second  letter,  addressed  to  '-all  Cluis- 
tians  mliabiting  I'eloponnesus  and  the  -^gean  Sea."  In  this 
remarkable  production  they  are  reminded  of  "  the  submission^ 
and  fldelitv  they  owe  to  the  lawful  Ottoman  Empire  ivatched 
over  by  God  f  and  are  warned  not  to  lose  precious  moments 
in  deceitful  procrastination.  They  are  allured  by  the  prospect 
of  a  speedy  restoration  to  the  spuitual  graces  in  the  gift  of  the 
Church.  "But  if,"  it  is  added  in  conclusion,  "we  should 
again  meet — which  God  forbid! — with  stubbornness  and  dis- 
obedience, arising  fi'om  the  delusive  ideas  tlaat  lead  you  astray 
— the  ax  is  laid  at  the  root  of  the  tree.     See  you  to  that  .'"* 

A  document  of  such  a  tenor,  and  issued  at  so  inauspicious 
a  juncture — ^when  the  exertions  of  seven  years  of  continual 
warfare  had  been  cro^^iied  with  success  for  the  Greek  anns, 
in  the  decisive  victoiy  of  Xavariuo — was  not  calculated,  as 
may  be  imagined,  to  heal  the  breach.  This  injudicious  meas- 
ure too  clearly  proved,  what  had  long  been  asserted — that  the 
Patriarchate  was  but  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  Sultan.  Ev- 
eiy  link  that  connected  the  Church  in  Greece  to  that  in  Turkey 
was  sundered ;  and  the  fonner  remained  independent,  though 
lying  under  interdict,  until  the  year  1850.  By  the  second 
article  of  the  Constitution  of  1843,  now  in  force,  it  is  ex- 
pressly declared  that  "  the  Orthodox  Church  of  Greece,  ac- 
knowledging our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  its  head,  is  indivisibly 
united  to  the  Great  Church  of  Constantinople,  and  eveiy  other 
Church  of  Christ  that  holds  the  same  faith ;  adhering,  pre- 
cisely as  they  do,  to  the  holy  canons  of  the  apostles  and  coun- 
cils, and  to  the  holy  traditions :  yet  it  is  independent,  exer- 
cising its  sovereign  functions  fi-ee  from  the  control  of  any  other 
Church." 

Not\\-ithstanding  this  declaration,  the  difficulties  of  the  po- 
sition of  the  Greek  Church  were  felt  in  so  lively  a  manner, 
that  no  new  bishoprics  were  erected,  and  the  vacancies  cre- 
ated by  the  death  of  the  incumbents  were  not  filled.     At 

*  The  letter  was  republished  in  the  form  of  a  small  pamphlet,  at  the 
office  of  the  Eutetye,  a  literary  periodical :  Athens,  1852. 


118  THE    GREEK    CHURCH. 

length  the  necessity  of  giving  some  more  definite  shape  to  the 
ecclesiastical  affaii'S  of  the  state,  had  become  so  evident,  that 
the  Ministry  resolved  to  send  a  commission  to  the  Church  of 
Constantinople,  with  letters  from  the  government  and  from 
the  Synod  of  Greece,  requesting  them  to  "  approve  their  ec- 
clesiastical constitution ;  and,  recognizing  the  Synod  of  the 
kingdom  of  Greece  erected  in  accordance  with  it,  to  receive  it 
as  a  sister-church  holding  the  same  doctrines,  and  equal  in 
honor;"  and  to  announce  it  as  such  to  the  other  three  Pa- 
triarchates. 

The  reply  received  to  these  letters  was  a  master-piece  of 
cunning.  It  was  styled  The  Si/nodical  Tome,  and  the  Kussian 
party  in  the  state  not  only  extolled  it  to  the  skies,  but  advo- 
cated its  immediate  ratification  and  adoption  as  an  organic 
law  of  the  realm.  Such  must  have  been  the  inevitable  result, 
had  not  an  antagonist  appeared  in  the  author  of  an  anonymous 
work  upon  the  subject,  who  was  soon  known  to  be  the  theolo- 
gian Theophilus  Pharmakides,  a  distinguished  professor  in  the 
university.  He  stigmatized  the  entire  movement  as  one 
which,  if  consummated,  would  lead  to  the  virtual  surrender 
of  the  established  polity.  The  Patriarchal  letter,  instead  of 
recognizing  the  Hellenic  Church  as  already  independent,  pro- 
ceeded, on  certain  conditions,  to  decree  it  such.  This  implied 
the  right  to  revoke  the  privileges  that  were  granted,  if  the 
terms  of  the  contract  should  not  be  observed.  The  conditions 
were  the  following :  The  establishment  of  a  perpetual  Synod 
of  bishops,  to  be  the  highest  authority  in  matters  of  religion, 
and  to  exercise  its  functions  independent  of  secular  interfer- 
ence ;  the  insertion  of  petitions  for  the  Patriarch  and  his  ad- 
visers m  the  public  services ;  the  procuring  of  the  "  Holy 
Myron,"  or  anointing  oil  used  after  baptism,  directly  from 
Constantinople ;  the  consultation  of  the  Gi'eat  Church  on  all 
important  matters  needing  reflection.  On  these  and  other 
equally  humiliating  conditions,  the  Patriarch  was  pleased  to 
remove  the  sentence  of  excommunication,  and  recognize  the 
validity  of  the  ordination  of  the  Greek  clergy.* 

*  The  Tome,  and  all  the  dociunents  relating  to  the  discussion,  may  be 
found  in  the  work  of  Professor  Pharmakides,  entitled  The  Synodical 
Tome,  or  Of  Truth:  Athens,  1852. 


THK    SYNOniCAL   TOME.  119 

It  was  too  evident  that  the  Tome  was  but  a  fresh  attempt 
to  foist  upon  the  Greeks  the  yoke  of  their  ancient  masters ; 
and,  when  its  impudent  design  was  thus  clearly  exposed,  no 
alteraative  remained  but  to  reject  it  altogether.  The  only 
visible  result  it  produced,  was  to  awaken  the  jealousy  of  the 
nation,  and  call  attention  to  many  points  in  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory, of  which  the  multitude  had  hitherto  been  entirely  igno- 
rant. How  the  Church  insensibly  passed  from  a  democratic, 
representative  form  of  government,  to  an  arrogant  oligarchy 
under  the  sway  of  the  bishops  and  patriarchs,  was  fully  dis- 
cussed by  Professor  Pharmakides. 

By  a  law  framed  in  1852,  the  ecclesiastical  polity  of  the 
kingdom  has  been  completely  remodeled.  It  increased  the 
episcopal  sees  to  twenty-four — a  large  number,  assuredly,  for 
a  population  of  scarce  a  million  souls.*  To  each  of  these  is 
annexed  a  salary  payable  by  the  government,  and  varying 
from  seven  hundred  to  a  thousand  dollars.  The  Bishop  of 
Attica  was,  at  the  same  time,  promoted  to  be  Metropolitan  of 
Athens.  Measures  were  at  once  taken  to  fill  as  many  of  the 
vacant  episcopal  chairs  as  possible.  In  order  to  allay  the 
vexation  naturally  entertained  by  the  Patriarch  and  his  Syn- 
od, in  consequence  of  the  indignity  offered  to  them  in  the 
rejection  of  the  "  Tome,"  a  special  messenger  was  dispatched 
by  the  king,  with  full  power  to  confer  on  the  mortified  ecclesi- 
astics as  many  decorations  of  the  honorary  Greek  "  Order  of 
the  Saviour"  as  might  be  found  necessary;  besides  covering 
the  insult  with  a  profusion  of  empty  compliments. 

The  differences  between  the  Latin  and  Greek  Churches, 
as  already  stated,  are  no  less  marked  than  their  points  of 
resemblance.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  enter  with  minute- 
ness upon  a  subject  so  strictly  theological.     It  is  rather  my 

*  The  Holy  Synod  of  Greece  was  to  be  composed  of  one  metropolitan, 
of  Athens,  the  capital  of  the  nome  of  Attica,  and  of  Greece  ;  ten  arch- 
bishops, nine  of  them  taking  their  titles  from  the  capitals  of  the  other 
nine  nomes  into  which  the  kingdom  is  divided ;  the  tenth  from  Corinth, 
"which,  though  not  the  capital  of  a  nome,  on  account  of  the  antiquity 
of  the  church  founded  there  by  Paul,"  is  raised  to  the  dignity  of  an 
archbishopric ;  and  thirteen  bishops  complete  the  list  of  the  hierarchy. 
The  Synod  nominates  three  candidates  to  fill  every  vacancy,  and  the 
king  selects  one  from  this  number. — 'EtpTj/iEplg  tov  Aaov,  July  2,  1852. 


120  THE    GREEK    CHUKCH. 

aim  to  convey  a  general  idea,  that  shall  at  the  same  time  be 
a  correct  one,  of  the  present  attitude  which  the  "  Orthodox" 
Church,  as  it  styles  itself,  assumes  in  relation  to  the  great 
religious  movements  of  the  day.  A  fact  lying  on  the  surface 
is,  that  its  doctrinal  perversions,  unlike  those  of  its  Latin 
sister,  have  never  become  part  of  a  deliberately-formed  system, 
ratified  by  successive  generations,  and  codified,  as  it  were,  by 
a  Council  like  that  of  Trent.  Nor  have  its  pretensions  reached 
so  daring  a  point.  Its  degeneracy  arises  rather  from  the 
ignorance  of  the  Middle  Ages  than  from  a  willful  perversion  of 
truth.  It  acknowledges  but  seven  general  Councils,  whose 
authority  is  binding  on  Christians,  the  last  in  a.  d.  786  being 
that  which  condemned  the  doctrines  of  the  Iconoclasts.  Yet, 
by  the  high  esteem  in  which  tradition  is  held,  the  multiplica- 
tion of  feast-days  and  of  superstitious  practices,  the  complica- 
tion of  the  ritual,  and  a  few  cardinal  errors  of  doctrine,  a 
state  of  things  has  been  induced,  little  superior  to  that  existing 
in  the  West.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Greeks  have  never  ad- 
mitted the  claims  of  the  Pope  to  be  the  Vicar  of  God  on  earth. 
This,  indeed,  was  the  primary  cause  of  the  schism  between  the 
tAvo  Churches ;  the  occasion  was  the  insertion  of  the  Avords 
JiKoque  in  the  Nicene  ci-eed.  The  doctrine  of  the  existence  of 
a  purgatory  has  never  been  admitted ;  although,  practically, 
by  ofi^ering  prayers  for  the  dead,  such  a  notion  is  sanctioned. 
The  Apocrypha  has  never  been  received  into  the  canon  of 
Scripture,  "  though  containing  many  praiseworthy  moral  pas- 
sages." Still,  many  intelligent  men  would  be  quite  at  a  loss 
to  discriminate  between  the  books  which  their  own  fathers 
pronounce  canonical,  and  those  that  are  not.  It  ought  also 
to  be  said,  to  the  praise  of  the  Eastern  Church,  that  the  read- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  by  the  common  people  has  never  been 
forbidden  by  the  Church ;  however  individuals  among  the 
clergy  may  have  endeavored,  sometimes  by  open,  and  more 
frequently  by  secret  opposition,  to  repress  it. 

The  Catechism  of  Plato,  Archbishop  of  Moscow,  translated 
by  Coray,  and  approved  by  the  Holy  Synod  and  the  Minister 
of  Public  Instruction,  is,  I  believe,  required  to  be  taught  in  all 
the  higher  schools  of  the  kingdom.  It  is,  therefore,  a  fair  ex- 
ponent of  the  doctrines  of  the  Greek  Church  ;  while  its  com- 


THE  CATECHISM  OF  PLATO.  121 

pleteness  and  orderly  arrangement  would  entitle  it,  under  any 
circumstances,  to  a  careful  perusal.*  The  Orthodox  Chris- 
tian, according  to  this  catechism,  recognizes  Christ  as  sole 
Head  of  the  Church,  the  clerg}^  being  shepherds  of  liis  flock ; 
the  bishops  as  first,  and  the  priests  as  second  in  rank.  The 
Church  can  follow  no  leader  but  Christ.  The  "  power  of  the 
keys"  committed  to  the  Church,  is  the  authority  to  reprove  or 
exclude  from  its  communion  the  unworthy  participant.  The 
Sacraments  of  the  New  Testament  are  seven :  baptism,  the 
Lord's  Supper,  chrism,  confession,  orders,  man-iage,  and  the 
anointing  of  the  sick ;  but  of  these,  the  first  two  are  superior 
in  importance,  and  the  last  three  are  not  binding  on  all  Chris- 
tians. The  docti-ines  of  baptismal  regeneration,  and  the  real 
presence  in  the  Eucharist,  are  cleai'ly  set  forth.  The  import- 
ance of  the  traditions  and  customs  of  the  Fathers  is  insisted 
on,  as  an  essential  part  of  Christian  doctrine  and  worship. 
The  invocation  of  saints  is  defended,  upon  the  usual  grounds, 
against  the  imputation  of  violating  the  first  commandment  of 
the  Decalogue.  In  the  explanation  of  the  second,  the  Greek 
Church  discriminates  between  the  gi-aven  image  and  the  pic- 
ture of  a  saint,  declaring  the  former  alone  to  be  reprehensible. 
Yet  it  condemns  as  idolatrous  "  those  that  consider  one  picture 
more  holy  than  another;  that  expect  more  benefit  from  one 
than  from  another ;  that  bring  into  the  Church  a  picture  and 
will  worship  no  other ;  that  honor  the  picture  with  costly 
ornaments,  more  than  that  which  is  without,  or  the  old  one 
more  than  the  new ;  or  that  are  unwilling  to  worship  in  a 
place  where  there  are  no  images." 

To  a  Protestant  there  is,  perhaps,  no  part  of  the  Greek  sys- 

*  The  Catechism  of  Plato,  translated  from  the  German  by  the  able 
hand  of  Coray,  is  a  compend  of  Theology,  rather  than  an  elementary 
treatise,  as  its  name  would  give  ns  to  expect.  It  is  a  volume  of  about 
140  pages  in  8vo.  The  first  part,  treating  of  Natural  Theology,  enters 
with  detail  into  the  examination  of  the  proofs  of  God's  existence,  the 
nature  and  attributes  of  God,  the  natural  estate  of  man,  and  his  con- 
scious ill-desert.  The  second  and  main  di\4sion  sets  forth  the  Evangel- 
ical Faith,  that  is,  Eevealed  Religion,  with  the  exception  of  the  Law  of 
God,  which  forms  the  subject  of  the  third  part.  The  discussion  of  the 
particular  doctrines  is  mostly  full  and  satisfactory,  while  the  notes  of 
the  translator  are  characterized  by  an  evangelical  spirit. 

F 


122  THE    GREEK    CHUKCU. 

tem  more  shocking  than  the  worship  of  tlie  Virgin  Mary,  as  it 
exists,  and  as  it  is  countenanced  by  the  standards  now  in  use. 
To  say  that  many  of  the  common  peasants  are  unable  to 
make  that  distinction  which  the  Church  pretends  to  enjoin, 
and  from  mere  veneration  easily  step  over  into  the  domain  of 
a  most  culpable  religious  worship — is  stating  a  fact  which  no 
intelligent  eye-witness  of  their  devotions  can  find  reason  to 
deny.  It  may  not  be  so  generally  known  that  the  prayer- 
books  in  common  use,  even  more  than  the  public  service, 
abound  with  passages  well  calculated  to  mislead  the  worship- 
per, and  induce  him  to  look  to  the  blessed  Virgin  for  assist- 
ance which  God  alone  can  grant.* 

*  A  single  example  of  such  a  prayer  may  not  be  altogether  out  of 
place ;  and  its  completeness  and  elegance  must  atone  for  its  length.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  the  several  parts — adoration,  confession,  and  suppli- 
cation— are  clearly  marked  and  impressively  conveyed.  Yet  so  strong 
are  the  ascriptions  of  divine  attributes,  that  were  the  prayer  addressed 
to  the  Deity,  no  expression  would  be  found  inconsistent  with  His  char- 
acter. I  translate  from  the  Hiera  Synopsis,  a  small  volume  of  prayers 
intended  for  the  use  of  private  Christians  (p.  44). 

"yl  Prayer  to  the  Most  Holy  Mother  of  God. 

"O  spotless,  undefiled,  uncoiTupted,  uncontaminated,  pure  Virgin, 
Queen,  the  Bride  of  God !  Who  didst  unite  God  the  Word  to  men,  by 
thy  wonderful  conception  ;  and  join  the  alienated  nature  of  our  race  to 
heavenly  things.  The  only  hope  of  the  despairing,  and  help  of  them 
that  be  warred  against;  the  ready  defence  of  those  that  fly  unto  thee, 
and  the  refuge  of  all  Christians.  Do  not  abhor  me  a  sinner  and  ac- 
cursed ;  who,  by  base  thoughts,  words,  and  deeds,  have  rendered  myself 
utterly  vile.  .  .  .  But,  as  Mother  of  the  compassionate  God,  kindly  pity 
me  a  sinner  and  prodigal,  and  receive  my  prayer  offered  to  thee  by  my 
polluted  lips.  And  do  thou,  making  use  of  thy  motherly  liberty,  impor- 
tune thy  Son,  and  our  Lord  and  Master,  to  open  to  me,  too,  the  kind 
bowels  of  his  goodness,  and,  passing  by  my  numberless  offences,  turn 
me  to  repentance,  and  make  me  a  tried  doer  of  his  precepts.  And  be 
present  unto  me  alway  merciful,  compassionate,  and  good:  both  in 
this  life  as  a  warm  protectress  and  helper,  warding  oflf  the  assaults  of 
them  that  be  against  me,  and  leading  me  unto  salvation ;  and  in  the 
time  of  my  departure,  caring  for  my  miserable  soul,  and  driving  far 
from  it  dark  visions  of  evil  spirits.  And  in  the  fearful  day  of  judgment, 
deliver  me  from  everlasting  punishment,  and  make  nie  an  heir  of  the 
unspeakable  glory  of  thy  Son  and  our  God.  Wliich  may  I  attain  unto, 
my  Queen,  all  Holy  Mother  of  God,  through  thy  mediation  and  inter- 
cession ;  liy  the  gi-ace  and  compassion  of  thy  only-begotten  Sou,  our 
Lord,  God,  and  Saviour,"  etc. 


THE    PAKISH    PRIEST.  123 

The  condition  of  the  clergy  is  an  important  topic  for  consid- 
eration. Like  most  other  topics,  to  a  general  view  it  has  a  dark 
as  well  as  a  bright  side.  The  priest,  or  /jo/jcw,  it  is  true,  has  not 
necessarily  sundered,  by  a  prescribed  celibacy,  all  the  ties  that 
serve  to  unite  him,  in  sympathy  and  affection,  with  liis  spirit- 
ual flock.  In  fact,  many  of  the  parish  priests  are  maiTied 
men ;  nor  is  this  circumstance  considered  in  the  least  discredit- 
able. There  is,  however,  this  restriction:  the  aspirant  for 
orders  must  many,  if  at  all,  before  becoming  a  deacon ;  and 
so  it  happens  that  while  a  priest  may  be  a  married  man,  yet 
a  priest  is  prohibited  from  marrying. 

Although  the  priest's  tenure  of  office  does  not  depend,  as 
has  been  asserted,  at  least  in  Greece,  upon  the  life  of  his  wife, 
he  can  not  marry  a  second  time  without  forfeiting  his  priestly 
character.  Happily,  neither  law  nor  public  opinion  place  any 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  his  retiring.  There  are  not  a  few 
curates  who  have  renounced  their  sacerdotal  functions  from 
this  cause  ;  while  a  much  larger  number  who  took  up  arms  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  imbrued  their  hands  in  blood,  are 
on  that  account  incapacitated  from  officiating. 

The  ignorance  and  degradation  of  the  clergy  forms  the 
gloomier  aspect  of  the  picture.  Springing  from  the  lowest 
class  of  society,  they  are  notoriously  illiterate  and  immoral. 
So  deeply  rooted  has  the  notion  of  their  debasement  become  in 
the  popular  mind,  that  when  a  boy  is  unruly,  and  his  parents 
have  failed  in  persuading  him  to  learn  some  honest  trade,  they 
frequently  consider  the  Church  their  last  and  only  resource. 
This  idea  is  embodied  in  a  current  proverb,  which  may  be 
rendered  in  English  by  the  couplet, 

"  Vicious  and  ignorant,  gluttonous  beast, 
Nothing  remains  but  to  make  him  a  jiriest." 
But  when  the  fact  is  kno^\Ti,  that  until  lately  there  has 
been  no  pro\'ision  for  their  education,  beyond  schools  where 
they  might  learn  to  read  and  write,  such  a  state  of  things 
■will  scarcely  excite  surprise.  It  is  even  asserted  that  a  few 
ecclesiastics  may  still  be  found,  unable  to  read  their  sendee, 
and  consequently  relying  either  upon  their  own  memoiy  or 
upon  the  assistance  of  others.  I  have  myself  met  with  several 
who  gloried  in  the  scantiness  of  the  opportunities  for  instruc- 


124  THE    GREEK    CHURCH. 

tion  enjoyed  by  their  order,  asserting  that  a  more  liberal  edu- 
cation had  the  effect  of  making  atheists  of  the  youth.  Unfor- 
tunately this  is  not  far  from  being  the  case  in  Greece.  I  have 
known  several  deacons  and  others  in  the  University  that  were 
skeptics  even  as  to  the  truth  of  religion,  and  would  gladlv  cut 
off  their  long  hair,*  and  lay  aside  their  sacerdotal  robes,  could 
they  be  sure  of  gaining  a  livelihood  by  some  other  profession 
than  that  they  had  embraced.  The  monks  are  even  more 
ignorant  and  degraded,  while  they  display  an  inveterate  hos- 
tility to  every  measure  tending  to  enlighten  and  elevate  the 
people. 

Corruption  is,  unhappily,  equally  common  in  Church  and 
State.  It  is  notorious  that  no  one  can  obtain  the  appoint- 
ment of  Greek  Consul  for  the  more  frequented  ports — such  as 
Trieste,  Marseilles,  or  Odessa — without  first  obtaining  the  in- 
fluence and  support  of  some  important  man  near  the  king's 
person,  by  means  of  a  costly  present.  A  similar  practice  holds 
good  with  respect  to  the  ordination  of  priests.  So  flagrant  is 
this  system  of  bribery  in  eveiy  department  of  the  Church,  that 
in  a  "  letter-writer"  published  at  Athens,  not  many  years  ago, 
and  now  lying  before  me,  a  number  of  forms  are  given  for 
such  occasions  as  the  following.  In  one,  the  wi'iter  beseeches 
a  bishop  not  to  grant  a  divorce  in  the  case  of  his  daughter, 
and  accompanies  his  petition  with  a  present  of  5000  piastres 
— a  little  more  than  $200.  Another  is  an  application  to  a 
prelate  for  a  dispensation  to  permit  a  man  to  marry  a  third  time. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  a  third  marriage  is  an  abomina- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  the  Greeks,  and  is  considered  criminal  un- 
less the  previous  permission  of  the  Patriarch  be  obtained. 
The  applicant  states  that  the  prelate's  agent,  to  whom  he  had 
addressed  himself,  had  demanded  the  sum  of  three  thousand 
piastres ;  and  he  therefore  begs  not  to  be  compelled  to  pay 
anyxthing  more  than  that  which  is  custom  aiy.  The  charac- 
ter of  the  transaction  is  more  frequently  veiled  under  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  gift.  The  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  grants  ple- 
nary pardon  to  all  that  devoutly  visit  the  Holy  Places :  but 
the  pilgrim  must  first  gratify  his  avarice  by  a  present  of  some 

*  Letting  the  hair  grow  long  is  considered  indispensable  to  the  exer- 
cise of  any  of  the  priestly  functions. 


ECCLESIASTIC Al.    PARTIKS.  i'J5 

two  hundi-ed  dollars*  Having  satisfied  his  conscience  at  so 
cheap  a  price,  the  Hadgi,  as  he  is  now  called,  returns  to  his 
own  country,  with  a  store  of  acquired  righteousness  so  ample, 
as  to  be  quite  sufficient,  both  in  his  own  estimation  and'in 
that  of  his  neighbors,  to  cover  all  liis  future  sins.  He  rarely 
fails  to  make  large  drafts  on  this  imaginary  deposit,  "As  bad 
as  a  Hadgi"  has  become  a  proverbial  expression  to  denote  the 
most  abandoned  of  characters. 

On  similar  gi'ounds,  aU  who  contribute  twenty-five  piastres 
to  the  treasury  of  the  miracle-working  church  of  the  Evangel- 
ista  at  Tenos,  have  their  names  inscribed  in  a  particular  book, 
and  receive  the  bishop's  special  benediction.  The  beatitude 
has  been  reversed,  so  as  to  become,  "Blessed  are  the  rich." 

The  Greek  clergy  may,  like  the  laity,  be  divided  into  two 
parties,  differing  not  on  doctrinal  points,  but  in  their  tenden- 
cies. The  first  is  the  Kussian,  or  Napist,  party — embracing 
by  far  the  larger  portion  of  the  clergy — desirous  of  more  inti- 
mate connection  with  Russia,  in  both  Church  and  State.  Op- 
posed to  liberal  sentiments,  jealous  of  religious  liberty,  and  of 
English  and  French  influence,  it  includes  not  only  the  few  ad- 
mirers of  Russian  despotism,  but  the  more  numerous  class  of 
those  that  hope,  through  the  agency  of  Russian  arms,  to  ob- 
tain Constantinople,  and  set  up  a  new  Greek  empii-e.  The 
other  and  less  powerful  party,  on  the  other  hand,  expects 
more  permanent  advantage  from  the  influence  of  Western  let- 
ters, than  from  Oriental  power.  Here  are  found  the  friends 
of  religious  liberty — though  opposed  to  proselytism — the  pa- 
trons of  education,  the  more  consistent  and  strenuous  enemies 
of  every  form  of  tjTanny. 

It  requires  no  veiy  great  amount  of  penetration  to  discover, 
that  one  formidable  obstacle  to  the  success  of  missionary  en- 
terprises in  Greece  is  the  political  ambition  of  the  people. 
With  the  mass  even  of  intelligent  men,  the  contemplation  of 
the  future  prospects  of  their  countiy  excludes  from  their  minds 
all  consideration  of  religion  as  a  personal  concern.  To  em- 
brace a  purer  type  of  Christianity  seems  to  them,  not  only  to 
be  forsaking  the  religion  of  their  forefathers,  but  to  be  severing 

*  A  translation  of  the  certificate  given  to  pilgrims  was  published  a 
few  years  since  in  the  Missionary  Herald. 


120  TllK    UKEKK    C'HUKCH. 

every  tie  that  binds  together  the  scattered  members  of  tht; 
Hellenic  race.  "It  will  be  time  enough  to  consider  the  truth 
or  falsity  of  our  tenets,"  is  a  common  remark,  "when  Con- 
stantinople has  fallen  into  our  hands."  Meanwhile  they  are 
ready  to  regard  every  one  that  endeavors  to  disturb  their  ec- 
clesiastical unity,  as  conspirmg  against  the  high  and  manifest 
destiny  of  Gi'eece. 

Three  distinct  missionary  enterprises,  undertaken  by  Evan- 
gelical Christians  of  America,  have  been  prosecuted  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  The  earliest  is  that  commenced  about  the  year 
1828  by  Eev.  Jonas  King,  D.D.,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
American  Board.  Shortly  after.  Rev.  J.  H.  Hill,  D.D.,  was 
sent  out  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Board.  And  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Union  has  until  lately  been  I'epresented  on  Greek 
soil  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Buel  and  Arnold — the  latter  having  been 
for  some  years  previous  stationed  on  the  island  of  Corfu. 

Dr.  King's  labors  were  at  first  directed  to  the  estabhshment 
of  schools  for  the  education  of  boys  chiefly.  But  the  American 
Board  having  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  continue  the  large  ap- 
propriations requisite  for  pi'osecuting  this  enterprise,  it  became 
necessaiy  to  abandon  it.  As  far  as  respects  the  mere  intel- 
lectual education  of  boys,  the  necessity  of  private  schools  has 
been  removed  by  the  establishment  of  an  extensive  system  of 
popular  education,  including  higher  seminaries  of  learning  and 
a  noble  university.  During  the  last  few  years,  Dr.  King  has 
devoted  himself  to  preaching  and  publishing  useful  religious 
books  and  tracts.* 

Dr.  Hill  has  long  superintended  a  large  female  school,  at  one 
time  containing  several  hundred  girls,  belonging  to  families 
that  occupy  the  highest  social  position.  Many  of  his  former 
pupils  are  already  exerting  an  extended,  and,  it  is  hoped,  a 
very  healthful  influence  in  society.  Mr.  Buel — after  having 
in  vain  attempted  to  estabUsh  schools  at  Piraeus,  in  which  the 

*  I  am  liappy  to  learn  that,  since  I  left  Greece,  Dr.  King  has  gathered 
a  number  of  pious  youth,  chiefly,  if  not  M'holly,  Greeks  from  Turkey, 
.and  has  begun  to  give  them  systematic  instruction  in  Theology.  Tliere 
are  already  ten  of  these  students,  and  there  is  a  prospect  of  farther  ac- 
cessions. These  are  the  men,  we  trust,  that  are  to  become  instruments 
of  great  good,  in  tlie  reformation  of  the  nineteenth  century,  among  the 
Eastern  Christian  Churches. 


llDl'Eiah    INDICATIONS.  1  "27 

Gospel  might  be  taught  without  the  introduction  of  the  Greek 
Catechism,  as  prescribed  by  the  government — now  devotes 
himself  (as  did  also  Mr.  Arnold,  at  Athens)  to  a  work  similar 
to  that  of  Dr.  King.  Of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hildner's  schools  at 
Syra,  I  shall  speak  in  another  connection. 

It  can  not  be  denied  that  Greece  has  hitherto  proved  a  diffi- 
cult field  of  labor.  To  those  that  look  for  immediate  results, 
and  estimate  success  only  by  the  abundance  of  present  fruit, 
the  seed  may  seem  to  have  fallen  upon  a  barren  soil.  But 
there  are  those  who  can  not  persuade  themselves  that  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  incessant  toils  has  been  thrown 
away;  that  the  multitudes  that  have  heard  the  gospel  preached 
in  its  purity  will  retain  none  of  its  elevating  principles ;  that 
the  child,  who  gained  his  first  lessons  of  knowledge  in  an 
American  school,  has  not  been  permanently  benefited ;  above 
all,  that  thousands  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures,  scattered  broad- 
cast over  the  land,  can  fail,  sooner  or  later,  to  be  a  potent  ele- 
ment in  the  forces  that  shall  bring  about  the  reformation  of 
the  Greek  Church.  To  such  the  progress  of  education  and 
enlightenment,  and  the  advance  toward  complete  religious  lib- 
erty, constitute  a  favorable  omen  of  the  approach  of  the  time 
when  the  results  of  so  much  toil  shall  become  manifest  to  all. 


TEMI'LE  OF  THESEUS  AT  ATHENS. 


CHAPTER  X. 


CHURCH  FESTIVALS  AT  ATHENS. 

The  shops  throughout  Athens  were  kept  closed  all  day  on 
Good  Friday.  Their  exterior  was  decorated  with  a  profu- 
sion of  waxen  tapei'S,  combined  in  a  vai-iety  of  ways,  and  giv- 
ing them  an  appearance  of  considerable  liveliness.  At  a  num- 
ber of  stalls  temporarily  erected  in  the  street  of  ^olus,  crowds 
of  citizens  were  seen  providing  themselves  with  torches — al- 
most the  only  article  exposed  for  sale — in  anticipation  of  the 
great  season  of  i-ejoicmg  so  soon  to  succeed.  Passing  by  this 
busy  scene  I  walked  on  to  the  Church  of  St.  Irene — the  most 
important  in  the  city  as  long  as  the  Cathedral  remains  un- 
finished. 

Last  night,  being  "  Great  Thursday,"  as  the  Greeks  call  it, 
there  was  a  service  said  in  the  various  churches  of  the  city 
lasting  several  hours.  What  are  called  the  "  Twelve  Gospels" 
— that  is,  twelve  selections  of  Scripture  relating  to  the  Pas- 
sion of  our  Lord — were  read  at  that  time.  During  the  pro- 
tracted reading,  or  at  its  close,  an  image  representing  the 
blessed  Saviour  on  the  cross,  was  brought  out  by  the  priests, 
and  laid  in  the  midst  of  the  church.  It  has  been  customary 
to  produce,  at  the  same  time,  an  effigy  of  the  apostate  Judas, 


OUOXJ    FRIDAY    AT    ST.  IRENK's.  129 

and  to  burn  it  in  public.  This  immemorial  practice  bars, 
however,  of  late  years  been  abandoned,  and  is  now  prohibited 
by  the  government,  in  consequence,  I  understand,  of  the  ani- 
mosity that  such  a  sight  naturally  revived  in  the  breasts  of 
the  uneducated  classes  against  the  Israelitish  population. 
The  last  outbreak  of  this  feeling  took  place  on  the  4th  of 
April,  1847,  when  a  bigoted  mob  attacked  the  house  of 
]Mr.  Pacifico,  an  unofiending  Jewish  resident.  The  doors  were 
burst  open ;  various  members  of  his  family  were  insulted  or 
maltreated ;  wliile  the  more  cunning  took  advantage  of  the 
opportunity  to  appropriate  all  that  they  could  lay  hands  on. 
Happily  for  Mr.  Pacifico,  he  was  a  British  subject ;  and,  since 
he  found  it  impossible  to  obtain  redress  for  his  injuries,  be- 
cause of  the  inefficiency  or  partiality  of  the  courts  of  justice, 
he  appealed  to  his  own  government.  It  was  only  after  a  de- 
lay of  three  years,  and  the  blockade  of  the  port  of  Pirgeus  by 
an  English  fleet,  that  the  Greek  ministry  could  be  induced  to 
pay  the  required  indemnity. 

There  was  no  extraordinary  service  to-day  at  St.  Irene's ; 
but  the  image  of  our  Lord  was  still  lying  in  state  beneath  a 
rich  canopy  directly  under  the  dome.  An  image,  or  ikon,  in 
the  Greek  sense  of  the  word,  is  nothing  more  than  a  simple 
painting ;  for,  in  the  ecclesiastical  works,  a  distinction  is 
made,  as  we  have  stated,  between  images  and  statues :  the 
worship  of  the  latter  being  considered  idolatrous,  while  the 
reverence  given  to  the  former  is  regarded  as  not  only  allow- 
able, but  even  praiseworthy.  The  more  devout,  who  seemed 
to  consist  chiefly  of  women  and  children,  came  in  from  time 
to  time  to  say  their  prayers,  and  kiss  the  hands  and  feet  of  the 
image.  An  attendant  sat  near  by  at  a  table.  As  each  wor- 
shipper was  about  to  leave  the  church,  he  placed  a  piece  or 
two  of  silver  upon  the  waiter,  or  one  of  the  holy  discs,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  church.  In  return  he  received  a  blessing,  and 
a  flower  was  handed  to  him  from  a  pile  that  was  doubtless 
consecrated. 

In  the  evening  I  went  again  to  St.  Irene's,  to  hear  the 
"  Epitaphion,"  a  sort  of  funeral  service,  in  which  every  cir- 
cumstance is  carefully  adapted  to  express  sorrow  and  mourn- 
ing, in   commemoration  of  the  burial  of  our  Saviour.     The 

F  2 


mV  CHlKCll    FESTIVALS    AT    ATHENS. 

ceremonies  in  the  church  being  ended,  a  procession  formed. 
Standing  in  the  street  at  a  distance,  its  coming  was  announced 
by  the  glare  of  a  thousand  torches  borne  by  the  thronn-  that 
accompanied  the  funeral  pageant.  As  it  drew  nearer  I  could 
catch  more  distinctly  the  mournful  tones  of  the  priests,  as  with 
measured  chant  they  carried  on  a  bier  the  image  that  I  had 
seen  in  the  church  itself.  It  was  preceded  by  a  gi-eat  wooden 
cross,  before  which  the  spectators  crossed  themselves  repeat- 
edly and  bowed  profoundly.  The  bier  was  followed  by  a  num- 
ber of  distinguished  persons,  among  whom  was  Mr.  Paicos, 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  with  other  members  of  the  govern- 
ment. Last  year  the  ministers  carried  the  pall.  The  convoy 
was  accompanied  by  a  military  band,  with  muffled  drums,  play- 
ing a  dead  march,  and  followed  by  a  large  crowd,  whose  torches 
threw  a  dazzling  brilliancy  on  every  object  as  they  passed. 

Still  more  characteristic  and  impressive  was  the  procession 
from  a  smaller  church,  which  I  met  a  few  minutes  later  not 
far  from  the  same  spot.  Without  a  band,  or  the  presence  of 
men  of  distinction,  it  advanced  amidst  a  host  of  flitting  lights. 
Instead  of  musicians  it  was  preceded  by  a  hundred  or  more 
children  and  youth,  continually  shouting  rather  than  chant- 
ing that  solemn  petition  so  frequently  occurring  in  their 
litany:  "A'j/ne  elei/so7i" — "Lord  have  mercy!"  But  though 
there  was  a  certain  earnestness  of  manner,  it  was  too  evident 
that  few  in  their  boisterous  shouts  remembered  the  full  im- 
port of  the  cry.  Next  came  the  priests,  repeating  portions 
of  the  service,  and  carrying,  instead  of  the  picture  of  Christ, 
a  genuine  coffin,  covered  with  a  black  pall.  Whenever  the 
procession  approached  a  church  it  paused,  and  did  not  pro- 
ceed till  a  certain  number  of  prayers  were  repeated- 
Saturday  is  observed  as  a  day  of  mourning  rather  than  of 
festivity ;  but  toward  night  the  churches  are  crowded  with 
worshippers.  At  about  ten  in  the  evening  I  took  my  station 
on  a  balcony  opposite  St.  Irene's,  to  which  I  had  been  kindly 
invited  by  the  occupants  of  the  apartments.  Until  near 
midnight  the  time  passed  in  agreeable  conversation  with  our 
Greek  host  and  hostess,  and  those  of  their  acquaintance  that 
had  been  invited  to  attend.  A  few  minutes  before  twelve 
the  kinoj  and  queen,  witli  tlieir  suite,  drove  up,  and,  preceded 


KASTEK    DAWN.  131 

by  the  Bishop  of  Attica,  ascended  the  platform  erected  in  the 
centre  of  the  square  in  front  of  the  church.  While  they  stood 
there  facing  the  people,  I  could  not  but  think  of  the  feelings 
that  must  fill  their  breasts  :  the  one  as  a  Eoman  Catholic, 
probably  abhomng  the  rites  of  an  inimical  faith ;  the  other 
as  a  Protestant,  grieved,  if  she  reflected  at  all  on  the  subject, 
at  the  superstitious  observances  in  which  she  was  compelled 
to  act  a  studied  part.  For  a  quarter  or  half  an  hour  the 
priests  chanted  the  "  Anastasis,"  a  service  commemorative  of 
the  resurrection  of  our  Lord ;  but  owing  to  the  absurd  prac- 
tice of  ringing  the  church  bells  incessantly,  nothing  could  be 
understood.  The  number  of  tapers  carried  by  the  crowd  be- 
ing much  greater,  the  effect  was  still  more  brilliant  and  pleas- 
ing than  on  Good  Friday.  This  service  was  then  transferred 
to  the  interior  of  St.  Irene's,  where  it  lasted  a  while  longer. 

To  me  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  occasion  was  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  exercises.  Easter  was  now  regarded 
as  actually  begun,  commemorating  the  Saviour's  resurrec- 
tion. Each,  as  if  animated  by  the  joyful  thought,  turned  to 
his  neighbor,  and  kissing  him,  exclaimed,  "  Christos  aneste" — 
"  Christ  is  risen !"  To  which  the  other  m  turn  respond- 
ed: '^Aletkos  anes^e"^-"  He  is  risen  indeed!"  The  salutation 
was  first  given  by  the  ministers  of  state  to  each  other,  and 
from  them  it  spread  to  the  rest  of  the  assembly.  For  weeks 
after  I  occasionally  saw  the  same  thing  repeated ;  but  it  was 
only  between  acquaintances,  when  they  met  for  the  first  time 
since  Easter.  Usage  is  said  to  limit  the  employment  of  this 
mode  of  address  to  the  space  of  forty  days. 

After  the  termination  of  these  ceremonies,  all  is  mirth. 
The  bells  from  all  parts  of  the  city  send  forth  a  joyful  peal. 
Generally  the  Easter  festivities  have  been  accompanied  by 
frequent  discharges  of  fire-arms,  after  the  manner  of  our 
"  Fourth  of  July ;"  but  this  year  the  practice  has  been  for- 
bidden, and  the  prohibition  strictly  enforced.  Various  have 
been  the  surmises  respecting  the  cause  of  this  sudden  rigor. 
The  ostensible  reason  is  the  numerous  accidents  that  have 
resulted  from  the  use  of  balls.  More  probably  the  govern- 
ment feared  lest  the  occasion  should  be  seized  by  the  discon- 
tented to  make  a  revolution,  or  an  attempt  to  assassinate  the 


132  CHURCH    FESTIVALS    AT    ATHENS. 

king.  For  months  previous  rumors  had  been  circulated  of  an 
intention  to  overthrow  the  constitution  of  September,  1843 ; 
as  was  first  alleged,  by  the  king  a  la  Napoleon  III.,  afterward 
by  the  people,  or  by  some  ambitious  demagogues.  An  investi- 
gation was  at  this  time  in  progress,  conducted  by  committees 
of  the  Legislature.  The  whole  matter  seemed  to  be  very  much 
involved  in  obscurity. 

A  second  service  on  Easter  Sunday  concluded  the  festivities 
of  the  Holy  Week  at  Athens.  It  is  styled  the  second  Anasta- 
sis,  and  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  recital  of  the  gospel  of  the 
day  in  as  many  languages  as  the  clergy  can  muster.  It  is 
currently  reported  that  they  "  cram"  for  the  occasion  with 
whole  pages  of  languages  of  which  they  do  not  understand  a 
single  word — a  very  natural  result,  since  quantity,  not  quali- 
ty, is  the  requisite  for  the  occasion. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Lent,  whose  fast  has  been  kept  with  a 
strictness  for  which  no  parallel  can  be  found  in  Western  Eu- 
rope, the  rejoicings  of  the  people  are  the  gi'eater,  in  proportion 
to  their  protracted  abstinence.  The  fare  of  the  peasant  on 
Easter-day  is  the  best  of  the  whole  year.  There  is  no  family 
so  poor  that,  on  this  day  at  least,  it  does  not  have  for  dinner  an 
entire  lamb,  roasted  on  the  coals.  Then  the  following  Tues- 
day is  kept  as  a  general  holiday.  All  business  is  suspended, 
and  almost  the  entire  population  resorts  to  the  fields  about  the 
Temple  of  Theseus,  and  the  hills  of  Mars  and  the  Nymphs,  to 
join  in  dances,  or  to  witness  them.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to 
say  that  on  the  occasion  when  I  was  present,  there  were  thou- 
sands of  men,  women,  and  children  assembled,  all  in  their  best 
attire.  It  was  curious  to  notice  the  animated  scene,  so  close 
upon  the  most  venerable  monument  of  Athenian  art. 

The  Romaic  dance,  which  can  here  be  seen  to  great  advant- 
age, is  quite  peculiar  to  Greece.  The  dancers,  who  are  always 
of  the  same  sex,  rarely  number  less  than  twenty  or  thirty. 
Having  selected  a  leader,  they  form  a  sort  of  train,  always 
,  preserving  somewhat  of  a  circular  position,  and  often  clinging 
to  each  other  by  means  of  a  handkerchief  passed  around  their 
neighbor's  waist.  Within  this  partial  circle  sits  sometimes 
one  musician,  but  oftener  two  or  tliree.  One  plays  discord- 
antly on  the  pipe ;  a  second  laboriously  endeavors  to  extract 


BLESSING    THE    SEA.  138 

harmonious  tones  from  an  instrument  not  very  mucii  unlike  a 
banjo;  while  a  third,  at  measured  intervals,  thumps  with  a 
large  stick  upon  a  cracked  drum.  The  music,  however,  seems 
to  be  of  sccondaiy  importance.  The  motions  of  the  dancers 
are  slow  and  dignified,  partaking  of  the  nature  of  pantomime, 
in  which  the  cliief  object  of  each  is  to  reproduce  the  action  and 
gestures  of  the  leader.  But  at  times  the  action  becomes  more 
violent,  vaiying  with  the  nature  of  the  subject  of  song,  and 
the  temperament  of  the  leader.  It  is  a  favorite  idea  among 
the  learned  Greeks  with  whom  I  have  conversed  respecting  it, 
that  the  Romaic  is  but  a  modification  of  the  Pyrrhic  dance  of 
the  ancients,  and  its  character,  so  utterly  unlike  the  frivolous 
dances  now  in  vogue,  goes  far  toward  establishing  at  least  a 
connection  between  them.  The  Eomaic  resembles  what  1 
would  fancy  to  be  the  war-dance  of  our  Indians. 

On  the  morning  of  the  festival  of  Epiphany,  a  singular  cer- 
emony took  place  at  Pirosus,  analogous  to  the  marrying  of  the 
sea  practised  by  the  ancient  doges  of  Venice.  At  an  early 
hour  the  Archbishop  of  Athens,  attended  by  a  large  company 
of  ecclesiastics,  repaired  to  the  margin  of  the  harbor.  A  vast 
throng,  especially  of  boatmen,  gathered  around  while  he  pro- 
ceeded to  bless  the  waters  according  to  a  formula  provided  for 
such  occasions.  At  the  same  time  he  cast  a  small  cross  into 
the  waves.  By  the  contact,  the  waters  of  the  bay  are  pre- 
sumed to  be  hallowed,  and  the  shipping  in  some  measure  in- 
sured from  shipwreck  and  other  perils  of  the  deep.  From  the 
annual  repetition,  it  would  seem  that  the  blessing  is  sufficient 
only  for  a  single  year ;  and  were  it  not  renewed,  it  would  be 
almost  impossible  to  persuade  a  Greek  sailor  to  embark  upon 
the  unsanctified  element.  Scarcely  had  the  cross  disappeared 
fi'om  sight  before  a  crowd  of  boatmen  plunged  in  to  find  the 
glittering  prize.  And  then  began  a  strife  in  the  deep  water, 
until  one,  more  fortunate  than  his  competitors,  emerged,  clutch- 
ing the  cross  in  his  hand.  Amidst  the  congratulations  of  his 
friends,  he  now  hastened  home.  Having  equipped  himself 
with  his  best  suit  of  clothes,  he  next  rode  to  Athens  and  pre- 
sented himself  with  his  cross  at  the  palace.  It  is  customary 
for  the  king  to  make  the  finder  the  handsome  gift  of  one  hun- 
dred or  more  drachms.     The  ministers  of  state,  and  then  all 


lol  CHURCH    FES'nVAI.S    AT    ATIIKNS. 

others,  follow  the  royal  example ;  and,  even  before  the  day 
has  closed,  it  not  unfrequently  happens  that  the  boatman's 
gains  amount  to  a  hundred  dollars. 

The  festival  of  the  Three  Ilierarchs  occuiTed  on  the  eleventh 
of  Februarys,  New  Style ;  or  twelve  days  sooner,  according  to 
the  old  luethod  of  computing  tune.  It  was  observed  in  a  spe- 
cial manner  by  the  University.  Not  only  were  all  exercises 
suspended,  but  most  of  the  professors  and  students  repaired 
early  in  the  morning  to  the  church  of  St.  Irene,  to  attend  a 
long  and  tedious  service.  The  chief  feature  of  interest  was 
the  delivery  of  a  written  discourse  by  the  Archimandrite  Mi- 
sael,  perpetual  seci'etary  of  the  Holy  Synod.  Preaching  is  of 
such  rare  occuiTence  in  the  Greek  Church,  that  I  was  cui'ious 
to  know  what  a  man  holding  so  elevated  a  station  in  that  com- 
munion would  select  for  his  theme.  Taking  for  his  text  the 
sixteenth  verse  of  the  fifth  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  the  archi- 
mandrite enjoined  on  his  hearers  the  necessity  of  leading  a 
good  life,  as  well  as  professing  the  orthodox  faith.  And  as 
suitable  examples  for  imitation,  he  held  forth  the  virtues  of 
the  three  "  Hierarchs,"  in  honor  of  whom  the  day  was  ob- 
served :  St.  Gregory  the  Theologian,  St.  Basil  the  Great,  and 
St.  John  Chrysostom.  The  discourse  was  a  fair  moral  hom- 
ily ;  but  that  was  all.  A  pagan  or  a  deist  could  have  found 
little  fault  with  its  Christianity ;  for  it  ignored  alike  human 
inability  and  divine  grace. 

The  churches  in  Greece  are  very  numerous,  but  mostly 
small  and  inelegant.  The  village  church  is  often  no  more 
than  twenty  or  thirty  feet  long,  without  bell  or  belfry,  and  the 
exterior  disfigured  by  a  coating  of  whitewash.  Some  in  Ath- 
ens, even,  are  equally  unpretending.  On  entering  one  of  these 
humble  structures,  a  narrow  space  at  the  farther  end  is  found 
to  be  separated  from  the  part  occupied  by  the  people  by  a  high- 
ly-decorated wooden  screen.  It  is  adorned  with  several  paint- 
ings, on  canvas  or  wood,  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  church. 
Those  of  our  Saviour  and  the  Virgin  Mary  occupy  the  most 
conspicuous  places,  on  either  side  of  the  main  enti-ance  into  the 
hieron,  or  "  holy  place,"  as  the  room  behind  the  screen  is 
called.  One  who  is  skilled  in  recognizing  the  saints  by  their 
appropriate  symbols,  can  generally  determine  at  first  glance  to 


(.^ELKBRATION    OK    TllK    MASS.  loo 

whom  the  cliurch  is  dedicated ;  for  the  picture  of  the  patron 
is  usually  placed  next  to  that  of  our  Saviour.  In  the  poorer 
chapels,  instead  of  costly  paintings,  there  are  sometimes  very 
mediocre  engravings ;  but  a  curiously-wrought  lamp  of  tradi- 
tional shape  invariably  burns  before  them,  and  its  flickering 
light  is  usually  kept  up  all  night. 

In  the  larger  churches  there  are  three  doors  opening  into 
the  "  liieron."  Through  the  middle  entrance  appears  the  "  sa- 
cred table,"  to  which  the  name  of  altar  is,  I  believe,  never  ap- 
plied. It  is  there  that  the  consecration  of  the  elements  em- 
ployed in  the  Lord's  Supper  is  performed  ;  but  this  portion  of 
the  service  is  not  witnessed  by  the  people.  When  it  takes 
place,  the  curtains  are  drawn  over  the  door,  and  now  only  the 
low  plaintive  tones  of  the  officiating  priest  are  heard  by  the 
worshippers  who  stand  with  bowed  heads  without.  The  scene 
is  certainly  more  impressive  than  the  more  gorgeous  ceremo- 
nial of  the  Latin  Church.  As  a  reason  for  observing  this  se- 
crecy, it  is  alleged  that  the  solemnity  of  the  service  might  oth- 
erwise be  marred  by  the  levity  and  irreverence  of  the  audience. 
On  either  side  of  the  principal  entrance  into  the  hieron  are 
stalls  in  parallel  rows  facing  each  other.  One,  larger  and 
handsomer  than  the  rest,  is  set  apart  for  the  bishop,  whenever 
he  is  present :  the  others  are  occupied  by  the  men  and  boys 
that  chant  parts  of  the  service.  Women  are  not  allowed  to 
sing ;  nor,  indeed,  are  they  permitted  to  stand  so  near  the 
"holy  table."  In  St.  Irene's  they  occupy  the  galleries;  and 
elsewhere  the  sides  or  farther  end  of  the  nave  is  appropriated 
to  them. 

Still  more  singular,  in  the  eyes  of  one  who  has  often  wit- 
nessed the  devotions  of  Roman  Catholic  assemblies,  and  their 
numerous  genuflexions,  does  it  appear  that  a  Greek  auditory, 
no  less  reverent  in  their  demeanor,  should  never  prostrate 
themselves,  but  retain  the  primitive  Christian  custom  of  stand- 
ing in  prayer.  Not  only  chairs,  but  kneeling-stools,  even,  are 
entii-ely  wanting.  The  tottering  bishop  himself  stands  erect 
during  a  great  part  of  the  service.  The  stranger  will,  howev- 
er, easily  distinguish  the  more  impressive  portions  of  the  mass, 
by  the  number  of  times  that  the  sign  of  the  cross  is  employed. 
The  Greek  rarely  crosses  himself  less  tlian  three  times  in  sue- 


lotj  OHUKCH    FESTIVAI-S    AT    ATHENS. 

cession,  and  irequently  does  it  nine  times.  In  the  use  of  this 
sign  he  is  much  more  deliberate  and  reverential  than  the  Lat- 
ins, whom  he  regards  as  highly  irregular  in  their  practico; 
because,  while  he  makes  it  from  right  to  left,  they  make  it  in 
the  opposite  direction.  With  equal  tenacity  does  he  insist  on 
the  use  of  three  fingers  in  pronouncing  the  benediction,  thereby 
testifying  his  belief  in  the  Holy  Trinity.  He  likewise  employs, 
in  certain  parts  of  the  service,  two  bundles  of  waxen  tapers. 
The  first,  composed  of  three,  has  the  same  symbolical  sense  as 
that  just  mentioned.  The  two  tapers  bound  in  the  other,  are 
used  to  set  forth  the  two  Natures  in  the  one  Person  of  our 
Savioiu'. 


NAUTLIA,  FROM   THE   I!AV. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THREE  DAYS  IN  AEGOLIS. 

"These  massive  walls, 
Whose  date  o'erawes  tradition,  gird  the  home 
Of  a  great  race  of  kings,  along  whose  line 
The  eager  mind  lives  aching,  through  the  darkness 
Of  ages  else  unstoried,  till  its  shapes 
Of  armed  sovereigns  spread  to  godlike  port, 
And,  frowning  in  the  uncertain  dawn  of  time. 
Strike  awe,  as  powers  who  ruled  an  older  world, 
In  mute  obedience." 

Talfourd's  Ion. 

It  was  between  six  and  seven  in  the  evening  of  one  of  the 
first  days  of  April  before  I  could  make  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  a  tour  with  a  party  intending  to  start  on  the  mor- 
row for  Nauplia.  Mr.  Newton,  late  an  antiquarian  attached 
to  the  British  Museum,  but  recently  appointed  Vice-Consul 
for  the  Island  of  Mitylene,  and  C,  son  of  a  prominent  London 
publisher,  were  to  be  my  companions,  and  we  had  engaged 
Demetrius,  familiarly  called  Demetri,  for  our  guide.  By  the 
time  we  had  fully  concluded  to  make  the  excursion,  it  was  well- 
nigh  dark ;  and  yet  neither  Demetri  nor  I  had  procured  our 
passes,  without  Avhich  we  were  liable  to  be  stopped  at  any 


138  TIIKKE    DAYS    IN    ARGOl.IS. 

moment  on  oui*  way,  and  perhaps  subjected  to  considerable 
trouble  in  clearing  ourselves  from  the  suspicion  of  being  either 
robbers  or  vagrants.  The  passport  office  was  closed  ;  but  the 
timely  disbursement  of  two  or  three  drachms  readily  opened 
it  for  us.  A  fresh  difficulty  presented  itself;  for  not  a  blank 
pass  could  be  found  in  the  office.  The  ingenuity  of  the  clerk 
easily  surmounted  this  obstacle.  An  old  pass  which  had  seen 
service  was  discovered ;  the  name  upon  it  was  transmuted  to 
what  might  be  supposed  to  bear  a  slight  resemblance  to  mine ; 
and  the  words  "  with  his  man,  Demetrius,"  were  added.  So 
were  we  permitted  to  visit  Argolis. 

The  next  morning  saw  us  on  our  way  to  Pirnsus,  by  the 
Macadamized  road,  which  for  three-fourths  of  the  distance 
runs  in  a  direct  line  across  the  meadows.  The  German  sur- 
veyors chose  for  its  substruction  the  northern  of  the  Long 
Walls  of  Themistocles,  and  every  violent  rain  uncovers  tem- 
porarily the  upper  course  of  stones.  Our  driver  did  himself 
credit,  and  we  reached  the  harbor  in  three  quarters  of  an  hour, 
and  in  ample  time  for  the  little  Austrian  steamer  upon  which 
we  took  passage  for  Nauplia. 

The"  weather  was  cloudy  and  dull  when  we  started  ;  but  as 
we  advanced  the  atmosphere  grew  clearer,  and  we  saw  with 
great  distinctness  the  shores  of  the  Saronic  Gulf,  upon  which 
we  entered.  Just  beyond  the  naiTOw  entrance  of  the  harbor, 
our  attention  was  drawn  to  the  simple  monument  of  Miaulis ; 
and  only  a  few  feet  farther  were  the  fragments  of  what  popu- 
lar tradition  has  dignified  with  the  name  of  Themistocles' 
Tomb.  Whether  this  be  the  exact  spot  of  his  sepulture  or 
not,  the  bones  of  the  great  general  of  ancient  times,  and  those 
of  the  most  famous  admiral  of  modern  Greece,  lie  mouldering 
on  the  shores  of  the  ^gean,  within  a  few  yards  of  each  other. 
Themistocles,  it  is  well  known,  was  buried  by  the  sea-side,  in 
full  view  of  the  Straits  of  Salamis,  the  scene  of  liis  most  splen- 
did victory  over  the  Persian  fleet. 

We  altered  our  course  as  soon  as  we  had  cleared  the  prom- 
ontory of  Munychia,  and,  leaving  on  our  right  the  island  of  Sal- 
amis,  headed  for  the  eastern  cape  of  Ai'golis.  This  brought 
us  within  a  very  short  distance  of  the  Temple  of  ^gina,  ded- 
icated of  old  to  Jupiter  Panhellenius.      Through  the  captain's 


V  PAiny  ox  DECK.  13!) 

glass  we  could  distinguish  without  difficulty  its  standing  col- 
umns. It  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  edifices  out  of  Athens  it- 
self; but  we  saw  it  to  little  advantage,  and  I  reserved  a  visit 
for  a  future  occasion. 

There  were  quite  a  number  of  passengers  on  board  our  little 
steamer,  and  as  the  day  was  fair  and  mild,  every  body  congre- 
gated on  deck.  Indeed,  the  trip  being  a  short  one,  most  of 
them  were  deck  passengers.  The  Greeks  are  so  talkative  and 
so  easy  of  access,  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  make  a  number  of 
acquaintances  in  a  short  time.  Our  company  was  a  lively 
one,  too.  As  they  had  nothing  else  to  do,  most  of  them 
amused  themselves  by  playing  cards.  One  party  of  eight  or 
ten  were  seated  in  Turkish  fashion  near  the  helm,  forming  a 
circle  around  a  cloth,  on  which  figured  a  cold  leg  of  mutton 
and  several  bottles  of  wine.  The  men  helped  themselves  plen- 
tifully, and,  disdaining  the  use  of  forks,  cut  the  meat  with  their 
jack-knives,  or  tore  it  to  pieces  with  their  fingers.  These 
were  evidently  all  from  the  same  neighborhood,  and  members 
of  the  same  clan.  Some  had  that  free-and-easy  look,  united 
to  a  considerable  share  of  fierceness,  that  distinguishes  the  old 
kleft;  others,  who  were  younger,  belonged  to  the  no  less  en- 
ergetic, but  more  tractable  class,  that  is  now  springing  up  to 
take  the  place  of  the  mountain  brigand.  I  fell  into  conversa- 
tion with  some  students  of  the  University  that  were  returning 
home  to  spend  the  Easter  Week  vacation.  Like  all  the  rest 
of  Greek  students,  they  were  poor,  and  e\-idently  self-made 
men.  Another  set  was  collected  around  a  musician,  who  af- 
forded entertainment  by  playing  on  an  instrument  not  unlike 
the  banjo,  and  by  singing  some  country  songs. 

There  were  but  two  cabin  passengers  besides  ourselves,  and 
they  were  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  One  of 
them,  Mr.  Axelos,  who  represents  the  city  of  Nauplia,  was  dis- 
posed to  be  very  communicative.  lie  informed  me  that  an 
election  was  about  to  be  held  at  Argos  the  next  day,  or  the 
day  after,  and  that  he  was  going  thither  to  attend  it.  Being 
a  partisan  of  the  king,  he  seemed  to  be  commissioned  to  pro- 
cure as  favorable  a  result  for  the  ministry  as  he  could.  The 
officer  to  be  chosen  on  this  occasion  was  the  demarch,  or  may- 
or of  the  city,  the  most  important  municipal  authority.     The 


llU  THREE    DAYS    IN    AKGOl.IS. 

mode  of  election,  as  Mr.  Axelos  described  it,  is  a  most  cui-ious 
one.  The  people  choose  twelve  men  as  electors,  and  twelve 
more  as  substitutes.  The  first  twelve  choose  from  their  own 
number  four  men  with  their  substitutes  ;  and  finally  three  can- 
didates are  selected  by  these  for  the  office  of  mayor.  Their 
names  are  presented  to  the  king  or  ministiy,  and  these  desig- 
nate the  one  who  shall  be  mayor.  Out  of  the  three  candi- 
dates, I  presume,  the  monarch  may  safely  depend  on  finding 
one  that  will  advocate  the  ministerial  measures,  for  the  sake 
of  gaining  office.  And,  of  course,  in  so  complicated  a  proced- 
ure, the  government  will  find  abundant  opportunity  for  wield- 
ing an  influence  over  the  election.  It  would  be  too  great  a 
stretch  of  charity  to  believe  that  my  friend,  Mr.  Axelos,  had 
no  part  to  take  in  the  election  at  Argos,  as  he  was  furnished 
by  the  ministry  with  an  order  for  an  escort  of  soldiers  through 
the  dangerous  pass  from  Argos  to  Corinth,  of  which  he  invited 
me  to  avail  myself  in  returning  to  Athens. 

By  eleven  o'clock  we  had  crossed  the  Saronic  Gulf,  passing 
close  to  the  island  of  Poros,  remarkable  of  late  years  for  the 
burning  of  the  Greek  fleet  in  its  harbor ;  but  more  famous 
under  the  name  of  Calauria,  as  the  scene  of  the  death  of 
Demosthenes.  It  is  a  bleak,  barren  rock,  without  the  sign 
of  a  habitation  on  this  side.  We  kept  on  our  course,  near  to 
the  main  land,  and  inside  of  the  island  of  Hydra,  which  rises 
high  and  rocky  from  the  sea.  The  town  itself  is  divided  by  a 
ridge,  which,  running  out  into  the  sea,  forms  two  harbors,  the 
smaller  serving  for  quarantine.  The  house  of  Condurriotti, 
the  famous  Hydriote,  stands  on  the  narrow  tongue  of  land  be- 
tween the  two,  and  was  pointed  out  to  me.  The  commerce 
of  Hydra  has  never  recovered  from  the  shock  it  received  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  war.  The  prizes  captured  did  not  com- 
pensate for  the  great  drains  upon  its  resources.  Since  the 
Revolution,  its  neighbor,  Spezzia,  has  regained  some  of  its  for- 
mer importance ;  but  Hydra  has  never  sent  forth  such  extens- 
ive fleets  as  those  which  it  sent  annually  into  the  Black  Sea. 
The  privileges  enjoyed  by  the  islanders  were  so  singular  that 
they  had  little  reason  to  complain  of  the  tyranny  of  the  Turks. 
Hydra  was  almost  independent  of  the  Porte,  goveraing  itself, 
permitting  no  infidel  to  set  foot  on  its  soil,  and  merely  paying 


HYDRA,  THE    HOME    OF    LIBERTY.  141 

a  small  annual  tribute.  Commerce  has  usually  the  effect  of 
removing  national  prejudice,  and  of  making  men  more  tolerant 
of  the  religion,  mannei's,  and  customs  of  their  neighbors  ;  but 
at  Hydra  it  seems  to  have  had  a  result  directly  the  reverse. 
A  Sm}Tniote  lady  at  Athens  told  me  that  her  father  once 
nearly  lost  his  life  for  presuming  to  enter  Hydra  in  Frank 
dress.  So  inveterate  was  the  dislike  entertained  for  the  foi'- 
eign  costume,  that  he  was  pursued  and  hooted  at  in  the  streets, 
and  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  a  house.  It  was  a  character- 
istic outburst  of  patriotism  that  led  the  admiral  Tombazi  to 
reply  to  one  who  exclaimed  "What  a  spot  you  have  chosen 
for  your  country!"  "It  was  liberty  that  chose  the  spot,  not 
we."  But  along  with  this  noble  sentiment,  and  with  others 
distinguishing  them  above  the  rest  of  their  countrymen,  the 
Hydriotes  possess  a  considerable  measure  of  the  sordid  love  of 
gain.  It  is  said  that  there  actually  existed  in  their  city,  at 
the  time  of  the  Eevolution,  three  mints  for  the  manufacture 
of  counterfeit  Turkish  coin,  which  was  taken  to  Turkey,  and 
there  put  in  circulation.* 

Our  steamboat  stopped  but  a  few  moments  off  Hydra,  to 
land  passengers,  and  then  continued  its  course  until,  coming 
between  Spezzia  and  the  continent,  we  entered  the  Gulf  of 
Argos.  The  town  of  Spezzia  is  less  picturesquely  situated 
than  Hydra ;  but  the  island  is  lower  and  not  so  rocky.  The 
harbor  is  long  and  narrow.  The  remainder  of  the  afternoon 
was  spent  in  steaming  up  the  Gulf,  with  the  bare  rocks  of  the 
Argolic  peninsula  on  the  right,  and  the  equally  precipitous 
hills  of  Laconia  on  the  other  side,  coming  down  to  the  very 
margin  of  the  water.  After  turning  a  promontory,  our  steamer 
anchored  directly  between  Nauplia  and  the  little  fort  of  St. 
Nicholas,  or  Bourtzi,  on  a  small  island  opposite  the  city. 

Nauplia  is  finely  situated,  and  appears  to  great  advaatage 
from  the  water.  The  houses  are  generally  built  of  white 
limestone,  with  tiled  roofs  but  slightly  inclined.  They  rise 
gradually  one  above  another  on  the  side  of  a  hill  that  forms 
the  end  of  the  promontory,  and  is  crowned  by  the  fort  of  Itch- 
kali.  But  these  works  are  slight  compared  with  those  on  the 
Palamede,  a  hill  740  feet  in  height,  which  commands  the  town 
*  Howe's  Greek  Kevolution.  p.  liJ5,  note  in  Jim . 


142  THREE'  DAYS  IN  ARGOLIS. 

from  the  southeast,  and  renders  Nauplia  one  of  the  three 
strongest  places  in  the  Morea — the  Acrocorinthus  and  Monem- 
basia  being  the  other  two.  It  is  singular  that  so  remarkable 
a  situation  as  this  should  not  have  been  occupied,  in  the  times 
of  the  ancients,  by  a  populous  town.  But  Nauplia  is  scarcely 
mentioned  by  historians  and  geographers  until  a  comparatively 
modern  date.  Even  toward  the  bay  the  town  is  pi'otected  by 
a  high  wall,  which  rises  from  the  water's  edge,  and  allows  the 
landing  of  boats  only  in  a  single  place.  It  is  said,  also,  that  a 
double  chain  used  to  be  stretched  from  the  fort  Bourtzi  to  the 
main  land.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  Turks  were  foiled  in  the 
attempt  to  take  this  place  by  storm  from  the  hands  of  the 
Greeks. 

Although  it  was  not  late  in  the  afternoon  when  we  arrived 
off'Nauplia,  we  were  deterred  from  landing  by  a  violent  thun- 
der-storm ;  and  we  concluded,  following  Demetri's  advice,  to 
spend  the  night  on  shipboard.  The  sun  rose,  on  the  morrow, 
in  a  clear  sky,  revealing  all  the  features  of  the  surrounding 
landscape.  Northward  we  saw  the  low  and  level  plain  of 
Argos  bounded  by  mountains ;  and  on  the  west,  at  the  base 
of  the  high  hills  that  ran  southward  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
distinguish  them,  was  the  low,  mai-shy  ground,  where  now 
stand  the  few  houses  of  Myli.  That  was  the  ancient  Lerne, 
the  haunt  of  the  famous  Lernian  Hydra,  whose  slaughter  con- 
stituted one  of  the  great  achievements  of  Hercules.  If  the 
Hydra — as  German  critics  pretend — was  only  symbolic  of  the 
pestilential  vapors,  which  Hercules  effectually  removed  by 
draining  it,  the  monster  is  now  as  active  as  ever:  for  the 
neighborhood  of  Lerne,  like  all  other  low  and  boggy  grounds 
in  this  warm  country,  is  infested  with  fever  and  ague  during 
nearly  two-thirds  of  the  year. 

After  waiting  a  long  while  impatiently  for  our  guide,  who 
had  gone  off  to  the  shore,  Demetri  at  last  appeared ;  and  we 
repaired  in  a  boat  to  the  landing-place,  where  we  found  the 
hoi'ses  that  had  been  procured  for  us.  We  set  off  at  once, 
without  stopping  to  look  at  Nauplia,  for  the  old  ruined  cities 
of  Tiryns,  Mycenas,  and  Argos.  Through  a  number  of  nar- 
row lanes  we  rode  at  full  speed,  brushing  past  the  little  open 
8hops,  and  now  and  then  drawing  our  beasts  near  the  wall,  in 


PLAIN    OF    ARGOS.  143 

order  to  avoid  a  train  of  mules  laden  with  sacks  or  baskets, 
or  a  row  of  donkeys  carrying  huge  bundles  of  brushwood,  un- 
der which  they  were  almost  hidden.  As  for  foot-passengers, 
they  shifted  for  themselves ;  and,  in  case  the  street  was  too 
narrow  to  allow  more  than  a  couple  of  horses  to  pass  at 
the  same  time,  they  took  refuge  in  some  open  doorway  or 
shop.  "We  left  Nauplia  through  the  only  land  gate,  over 
which  the  old  A\'inged  lion  of  St.  Mark  still  exists  sculptured 
on  a  slab  of  marble,  a  witness  to  the  former  supremacy  of  the 
Venetian  Eepublic.  We  saw  the  same  emblem,  more  or  less 
entire,  on  various  other  portions  of  the  wall.  The  Turks, 
when  they  gained  possession  of  the  city,  after  carefully  destroy- 
ing the  head  of  the  lion,  Avhich  they  supposed,  doubtless,  to  be 
one  of  the  idols  of  the  Christians,  cared  little  whether  the  re- 
mainder of  the  monument  was  still  there  or  not.  Passing  the 
narrow  strip  of  ground  used  as  a  promenade,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Palamede,  we  came  to  the  suburb  of  Pronia,  which,  when 
Nauplia  was  the  capital  of  the  government,  as  it  was  for 
many  years  after  tJie  Revolution,  was  crowded  with  country- 
seats  of  all  the  principal  families.  Pronia  has  witnessed  some 
stormy  scenes.  The  congress  that  assembled  there  was  broken 
up  by  force  of  arms,  and  its  deputies  dispersed.  On  the  cliiFs 
that  encircle  the  recess  in  which  Pronia  is  situated,  we  noticed, 
in  riding  by,  a  lion  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  in  imitation  of 
the  famous  monument  at  Lucerne.  It  commemorated  the 
Bavarians  who  died  in  Greece. 

We  now  turned  northwai'd,  and  entered  the  plain  of  Argos. 
A  remarkable  plain  it  is,  indeed,  and  the  scene  of  interesting 
historical  events,  from  the  time  of  Hercules,  the  Pelasgians, 
and  the  heroes  of  the  Trojan  war.  The  names  of  its  cele- 
brated cities,  MycentB,  Tiryns,  and  Argos,  are  mentioned  as 
the  seats  of  potent  monarchs,  at  a  time  when  proud  Athens 
itself  was  mentioned  by  Homer  as  only  a  "  demus,"  or  town. 
The  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  its  advantageous  situation  for 
commerce,  led  to  its  eai'ly  selection  for  the  principal  kingdom 
of  Greece  ;  and  it  still  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  superior 
in  productiveness  to  any  other  part  of  the  countrj^,  except 
Messenia.  We  certainly  could  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  the 
vast  ditiercnce  between  this  plain  and  that  of  Athens,  than 


144 


TIIKEE    DAYS    IJSI    AKGOLIS. 


which  a  more  rocky  and  arid  district  would  be  difficult  to 
find.  The  Argolic  valley,  measuring,  perhaps,  a  dozen  miles 
in  length — from  Nauplia  to  My  cense — and  not  less  than  seven 
or  eight  in  breadth  at  its  southern  end,  gradually  contracted 
as  Ave  rode  on,  until  above  Mycen^  it  became  a  narrow  defile. 
Fields  of  wheat,  and  vineyards  of  the  Corinthian  currant,  oc- 
cupied both  sides  of  the  road.  The  products  of  both  are  said 
to  be  excellent.  But  there  are  none  of  those  fine  old  olive- 
groves  that  give  such  a  light-green  tinge  to  the  landscape  in 
Attica.  No  one  tliat  travels  across  it,  as  we  were  about  to 
do,  just  after  a  heavy  rain,  and  is  obliged  to  wade  through 
pools  of  waters  covering  the  entire  road,  or  to  stem  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Inachus,  would  be  likely  to  style  the  plain  of  Ar- 
gos — as  both  ancients  and  moderns  have  done — "  a  thirsty 
land."  Yet  such  it  generally  is,  in  consequence  of  the  mea- 
greness  of  the  Inachus,  the  only  torrent  it  possesses. 

In  half  an  hour  we  reached  Tiryns.  The  long  and  nar- 
row eminence  is  a  striking  object.  Rising  in  the  midst  of 
a  perfectly  level  country,  it  has  been  compared  to  a  large  ship 
upon  the  calm  surface  of  the  sea.  The  road  runs  parallel  to 
its  western  side.  Having  turned  into  the  fields  on  the  right, 
we  rode  up  to  the  principal  entrance  of  this  acropolis.  We 
alighted  at  the  walls,  and,  while  our  guide  led  the  horses  around 
the  hill  to  the  road,  we  explored  the  remains  of  Greek  masonry. 
To  reach  the  mouth  of  a  passage  running  through  the  thick- 
ness of  the  wall  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  place,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  thread  our  way  through  the  mass  of  tangled  vines 
and  stinging  nettles  that  had  grown  up  luxuriantly  during  the 
rains  of  spring.  The  wall  was  built  of  large,  rough,  and  ap- 
parently unwrought  stones, 
heaped  one  upon  another, 
with  smaller  ones  frequent- 
ly filling  up  the  interstices. 
Some  of  the  stones  meas- 
ured five  or  six,  and  others 
as  much  as  ten  feet  in 
length.  The  passage-way 
was  vaulted,  not  accord- 
ing to  the  principle  of  the 


IK    M  ALT,    (ir    TIKYNH. 


RUINS    OF   TIRYNS.  145 

arch,  but  with  large  stones  projecting  more  and  more,  until  the 
highest  courses  met  entirely  ;  their  balance  being  preserved  by 
their  being  proportionately  longer,  so  that  the  centre  of  grav- 
ity should  fall  within  the  wall.  We  entered  this  curious  gal- 
lery, and  found  it  some  eight  or  nine  feet  high,  and  stretching 
about  one  hundred  feet  in  depth,  when  it  comes  to  a  sudden 
termination.  A  single  stone  at  the  end  has  fallen,  and  the 
light  entering  through  the  vacant  space  shows  that  the  gallery 
never  extended  any  farther.  By  the  same  dim  light  we  could 
distinguish  five  or  six  openings,  or  doors,  on  the  right,  which 
served  at  some  time  or  other  as  entrances  leading  from  the  ex- 
terior of  the  city.  They  have  all  since  been  walled  up.  What 
could  their  use  have  been  ?  Perhaps  for  making  sallies  upon 
the  enemy  that  might  undertake  to  besiege  the  town. 

We  found  another  similar  passage  on  the  opposite,  or  west- 
ern side  of  the  great  entrance ;  but  it  was  less  interesting. 
The  vault  was  perfect  for  a  short  distance  only,  the  remainder 
being  quite  destroyed.  We  passed  on,  and  ascended  to  the 
top  of  the  citadel,  which  appeared  to  be  elevated  some  thirty 
to  fifty  feet  above  the  plain — one  part  being  much  lower  than 
the  other,  which  was  a  sort  of  interior  fortress.  The  summit 
is  about  seven  or  eight  hundred  feet  long  from  north  to  south, 
and  usually  about  one-fourth  as  wide,  although  it  varies  con- 
siderably. On  these  three  or  four  acres  of  ground  stood  the 
city  of  Tiryns,  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  Greece,  and  princi- 
pally famous  for  the  wars  with  its  neighbors.  It  is  curious  to 
see  that  in  the  time  of  that  most  invaluable  of  ancient  topog- 
raphers, Pausanias,  sixteen  or  seventeen  hundred  years  ago,  it 
was  in  the  same  ruinous  condition  as  at  present.  "  The  wall," 
he  tells  us,  "  the  only  part  of  the  ruins  that  remains,  is  the 
work  of  the  Cyclops  ;  and  built  of  unwrought  stones,  each  of 
which  is  so  large  that  a  yoke  of  mules  could  not  move  even 
the  smallest  of  them.  Small  stones  have  been  of  old  fitted  in 
wdth  them,  so  as  each  to  form  a  connection  between  the  large 
stones."*  Nothing  but  an  earthquake  could  make  much  im- 
pression on  these  gigantic  masses ;  and  so  most  of  the  circuit 
of  the  wall  remains  quite  perfect.  The  view  over  the  vicinity 
is  extensive.     Near  the  hill  a  neat-looking  building  has  been 

*  Pausanias.  II..  2.t. 

(    r 


146  THREE    DAYS    IN    AKGOLIS. 

erected  by  the  government  for  an  agricultural  college,  which 
thus  far  has  not  met  with  much  success.  The  Greek  taste,  I 
imagine,  does  not  incline  much  to  agi'iculture. 

Demetri  came  to  us  before  we  had  fully  satisfied  our  curi- 
osity, and  reminded  us  of  the  long  ride  we  had  yet  before  us ; 
but  promised  that  if  there  were  time,  we  should  have  the  op- 
portunity of  spending  half  an  hour  more  at  Tiryns  on  our  re- 
turn. So  mounting  again,  we  rode  toward  the  upper  end  of 
the  valley,  over  a  level  district,  abounding  in  villages  and  well 
cultivated,  leaving  the  city  of  Ai'gos  far  to  the  left.  Near 
Mycenae  the  soil  became  lighter,  and  the  country  less  popu- 
lous. At  the  little  khan  of  Kharvati  we  diverged  from  the 
main  road;  and  took  a  path  which  led  us  up  to  the  village  of 
the  same  name.  Our  arrival  was  greeted  by  some  dozens  of 
boys  who  came  to  beg,  and  by  as  many  dogs  that  came  to  bark 
at  us  ;  but  we  set  both  at  defiance,  and  pursued  our  way.  We 
were  struck  with  the  miserable  condition  of  the  inhabitants, 
who  live  in  low  stone  or  mud  hovels,  thatched  with  brush- 
wood and  plants  gathered  in  the  vicinity. 

A  few  rods  beyond  the  village  we  reached  the  fieighborhood 
of  Mycena^,  and  before  entering  the  inclosure  of  the  wall,  de- 
scended into  the  far-famed  Treaswy  of  Ab-eus.  An  inclined 
plane,  bordered  on  either  side  by  massive  stone  walls,  led  us 
down  to  the  building,  which  is  excavated  in  the  bowels  of  the 
hill.  On  advancing  through  the  wide  portal,  we  found  our- 
selves in  a  great  circular,  vaulted  chamber,  about  fifty  feet  in 
diameter,  and  forty  in  height.  The  walls  gradually  approach 
as  they  rise  in  a  series  of  regular  courses  of  squared  stone, 
and  form  a  conical  dome — if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression. 
Architecturally,  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  construc- 
tion is,  that  its  solidity  does  not  depend  upon  the  vertical 
strength  of  the  arch ;  but  each  successive  circle  of  stones  is  so 
njcely  adjusted,  as  not  only  to  be  firmly  held  together  by  its 
own  weight,  but  also  to  support  the  pressure  of  the  circles 
above  it.  A  single  stone — now  displaced — capped  the  entire 
.structure.  The  gateway,  through  which  we  had  entered,  was 
one  of  the  most  wonderful  portions  of  the  Treasury.  Though 
scarcely  more  than  eight  feet  wide,  it  is  spanned  by  an  enor- 
mous soffit  twenty-eight  feet  long,  nineteen  feet  broad,  and  three 


THE  TREASURY  OF  ATREUS.  147 

feet  and  nine  inches  in  thickness !  How  that  mass,  weighing 
many  tons,  was  brought  to  this  spot,  and  raised  to  the  height 
of  twenty  feet  above  the  floor — and  that,  too,  without  the  aid 
of  modern  improvements  in  machinery — is  a  mystery  difficult 
of  solution.  Certainly  the  architects  of  Agamemnon's  age 
possessed  no  mean  skill.  Above  this  ponderous  slab  there  is 
a  triangular  window  that  serves  to  let  a  faint  light  into  the 
buikhng. 

Leaving  our  horses  here,  we  groped  our  way  through  a 
similar,  but  much  smaller  door,  almost  choked  up  with  rub- 
bish, into  a  lateral  chamber.  Demetri  brought  in  an  armful 
of  brush,  and  kindled  a  fire,  whose  flame  revealed  to  us  the 
shape  of  a  damp  room  some  twenty  feet  square,  by  our  meas- 
urement, and  fourteen  feet  high,  cut  out  of  the  hard  rock,  and 
left  with  rough  walls.  The  use  of  this  portion  of  the  building 
is  uncertain.  Our  guide  persisted  in  calling  it  the  Tomb  of 
Agamemnon,  while  the  rest  he  styled  the  Treasury  of  Atreus. 
The  reverse,  however,  is  the  more  reasonable  supposition :  the 
costly  chamber  may  have  been  the  monument  of  the  illustri- 
ous monarch,  while  the  rough  chamber,  protected  by  the  in- 
violable sanctity  that  attached  to  the  resting-places  of  the 
dead,  may  have  served  as  a  treasury  for  the  living.  Since  the 
structure  stood  outside  the  walls  of  the  city — the  most  ancient 
walls,  at  any  rate — it  is  not  impossible  that  this  should  have 
been  a  tomb ;  but  some  authors  endeavor  to  prove,  and  with 
a  show  of  plausibility  too,  that  it  was  in  some  way  connected 
with  the  worship  of  those  early  races  that  inhabited  Greece 
before  authentic  history,  and  concerning  whom  the  amount 
of  knowledge  we  possess,  notwithstanding  the  bulky  tomes 
written  about  them,  might  be  summed  up  in  a  few  pages. 
Possibly  the  walls  of  this  inner  chamber  were  coated  with 
marble,  while  those  of  the  dome  undoubtedly  were  covered 
with  copper  plates,  as  is  evident  from  the  abundant  remains 
of  copper  nails  studding  their  entire  surface. 

Eiding  along  the  crest  of  the  hill,  on  which  ran  the  more 
recent  walls  of  the  city,  we  came  unexpectedly  to  a  hole, 
through  which  the  traces  of  a  monument,  precisely  similar  to 
that  we  had  been  visiting,  were  visible.  The  upper  part  of 
the  dome  had  fallen  in,  disclosing  some  of  the  lower  courses 


148  THREE    DAYS    IN    ARGOLIS. 

of  masonry.  Most  of  this  "Treasury"  is  buried  below  the  ac- 
cumulated rubbish.     There  are  two  more  outside  the  walls. 

On  reaching  the  acropolis  of  Mycen«,  we  dismounted,  and 
made  a  great  part  of  the  circuit  on  foot,  observing  the  differ- 
ent kinds  of  construction  that  were  here  exhibited.  Some- 
times, as  at  Tiryns,  there  were  great  masses  of  stone  heaped 
together,  apparently  without  any  attempt  to  give  them  a  more 
symmetrical  shape.  In  other  places  the  masses,  though  scarce- 
ly smaller,  were  hewn  into  large  and  almost  regular  courses, 
the  occasional  crevices  being  filled  with  small  fragments.  In 
walls  of  a  yet  more  recent  date  the  stones  were  much  smaller, 
but  of  a  polygonal  form,  and  generally  so  admirably  fitted 
as  hardly  to  leave  a  visible  joint  between.  We  entered  the 
acropolis  by  a  gate  built,  in  the  most  simple  manner,  of  three 
stones — two  upright  slabs  covered  by  a  third.  On  either  jamb 
there  were  projections,  against  which  the  door  rested,  and  on 
one  side  were  two  holes,  in  which  was  placed  the  heavy  bar 
that  secured  it.  From  the  elevated  platform  on  which  we 
stood  we  could  look  far  and  wide  over  the  plain,  where  reign- 
ed "Agamemnon,  king  of  men,"  This  was  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom,  while  Tiryns  to  the  south,  and  Argos,  at  the  foot 
of  that  high  hill  almost  as  far  toward  the  southwest,  were  the 
older  and  later  capitals  of  the  Atreidte.  The  ground  we  stood 
on  was  perhaps  occupied  of  old  by  the  royal  palace  celebrated 
for  the  misdeeds  of  Clyt^emnestra  and  ^gisthus,  and  where 
the  victorious  monarch,  Agamemnon,  was  assassinated,  with 
the  laurel  still  fresh  on  his  brow.* 

We  descended  from  the  top  of  the  hill  to  the  object  of  great- 
est interest  in  the  place — the  Gate  of  Lions.     Two  enormous 

*  Agamemnon  was  sometimes  styled  King  of  Argos  ;  but  under  this 
name  was  included  not  only  the  city  of  Argos — this  being  the  capital  of 
Diomede's  dominions — but  a  large  portion  of  the  Peloponnesus,  includ- 
ing particularly  the  cities  of  Mycente  and  Tiryns.  (Hetne,  Excurs.  1, 
ad  II.  2.)  The  scene  of  the  play  of  ^schylus  was  more  probably  laid  at 
Argos,  whose  site  certainly  accords  better  with  the  description  given  by 
the  poet,  of  the  signal  fires  that  transmitted  to  Clytasmnestra  the  news  of 
the  fall  of  Troy,  and  of  her  husband's  speedy  return.  I  have  not  deem- 
ed it  necessary  to  enter  upon  this  discussion.  The  reader  may  find  some 
remarks  ujion  it  in  a  note  by  Professor  Felton  on  Lord  Carlisle's  Di- 
nry  in  TurL-iah  and  G'/rek   Waters,  j).  252. 


MYCEX^. 


l-i9 


GATE   OF  LIONS  AT  MTCEN>E. 


stones,  standing  on  end,  support  a  slab  equally  ponderous; 
and  on  the  top  of  this  is  a  triangular  piece  of  gray  limestone, 
ten  feet  long  and  nine  high,  upholding  the  only  statuary  to 
be  found  at  Mycenae.  A  couple  of  lions  are  represented  in 
high  relief  erect  on  their  hind  legs,  and  facing  each  other. 
Their  front  feet  rest  on  a  low  pedestal  between  them,  which 
is,  in  fact,  a  short  Doric  column  reversed.  Unfortunately,  the 
heads  of  the  lions  ai'e  entirely  destroyed,  and  so,  also,  is  any 
object  that  may  have  been  upon  the  top  of  the  column :  thus 
every  clew  to  the  meaning  of  this  curious  monument  has  dis- 
appeared, and  it  is  impossible  to  tell,  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty, whether  it  was  connected  Avith  the  worship  of  the  mys- 
terious builders  of  Mycena?.  The  artist  who  executed  this 
work  was  not  devoid  of  skill  in  portraying  nature.  Every 
muscle  of  the  lion's  body  is  expressed,  and  even  exaggerated, 
though  there  is  a  certain  stiffness  about  the  whole  that  marks 
an  early  period  of  art.  At  a  glance  one  is  struck  with  the 
resemblance  of  the  ligures  to  Eg}'ptian  works ;  and  no  one 
that  has  seen  the  Assyrian  monuments  in  the  London  and 
Parisian  museums  can  fail  to  notice  an  equal  likeness  to  their 
rigid  outlines.  It  is  a  well-authenticated  tradition  that  the 
Egj'ptians  sent  colonies  to  this  part  of  Greece ;  but  it  seems 
very  doubtful  whether  these  monuments  resemble  each  other 


150  THREE    DAYS!    IN    AKGOLIS. 

any  farther  than  as  to  the  mere  clumsiness  that  characterizes 
all  works  of  remote  antiquity. 

The  ruins  of  Mycen^  are  the  more  interesting  from  the  fact, 
that  since  the  time  of  Pausanias  they  have  undergone  little  or 
no  change.  "The  inhabitants  of  Argos,"  says  the  historian, 
"  destroyed  Mycenai  out  of  envy ;  for  Avhile  the  Argives  re- 
mained at  rest  during  the  invasion  of  the  Medes,  the  Mycen- 
ians  dispatched  eight  men  to  Thermopylae,  who  took  part  in 
the  contest  with  the  Lacedaemonians.  This  brought  destruc- 
tion upon  them,  since  it  excited  the  emulation  of  the  Argives. 
There  remains,  however,  besides  other  portions  of  the  inclos- 
ure,  the  gate  with  the  lions  standing  over  it.  They  say  that 
these  are  the  work  of  the  Cyclopes,  who  constructed  the  wall 
at  Tiryns  for  Prtjetus."  The  great  topographer  also  mentions 
the  treasuries  of  Atrcus  and  his  children,  his  tomb,  and  those 
of  Agamemnon  and  Clytajmnestra 

"VVe  lingered  for  an  hour  or  two  among  the  ruins  of  Mycerri?, 
and  then  hurried  back  to  Kharvati,  to  take  our  lunch  at  >:  - 
khan.  While  we  were  partaking  of  such  food  as  our  guide 
had  provided,  some  peasants  brought  us  the  ancient  coins  they 
had  found  in  ploughing.  Most  of  them  were  of  the  Byzan- 
tine period.  They  set  an  enormous  value  upon  them,  prizing 
especially  all  those  that  bore  the  impress  of  a  Christian  em- 
peror. It  is  said  that  when  a  medal  of  Constantine  is  found, 
it  is  kept  as  an  heir-loom  in  the  family,  and  nothing  can  tempt 
the  fortunate  possessor  to  part  with  it.  Some  peasants  at  the 
same  khan  were  taking  their  mid-day  repast ;  but  as  it  was 
still  Lent,  they  rigidly  abstained  from  meat  and  fish.  They 
had  before  them  a  panful  of  snails,  which  they  ate  raw  with 
their  bread,  seeming  to  regard  them  in  the  liglit  of  a  delicacy. 
We  were  almost  tempted  to  follow  their  example ;  but  our 
prejudice  against  snails  was  too  powerful  to  be  overcome,  and 
Ave  confined  ourselves  to  that  which  the  more  civilized  Deme- 
tri  had  set  before  us. 

In  returning  to  Nauplia  we  took  a  longer  road,  which  passes 
by  Argos.  This  consumed  more  than  two  hours ;  for  our 
horses  were  poor,  and  the  road,  though  good  in  diy  weather, 
led  across  the  swollen  stream  Inachus,  which  is  quite  a  re- 
spectable creek  at  this  season  of  the  year.     We  found  Argos 


THEATRE    OF    ARGOS.  lol 

utterly  unlike  Nauplia  in  appearance.  The  houses  are  new- 
er, and  not  so  high  ;  and  many  arc  surrounded  by  gardens  and 
vineyards,  forming  a  populous  but  straggling  town.  Nauplia 
is  its  rival,  and  for  a  long  time  entii-ely  overshadowed  it :  but 
now  Ai'gos  contains,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  ten  or  twelve 
thousand  souls,  while  Nauplia  has  only  eight.  Our  object 
here  was  to  see  the  remains  of  a  Greek  theatre.  To  reach  it, 
we  were  obliged  to  traverse  the  greater  part  of  Argos ;  and  a 
crowd  of  boys  seeing  the  milordi  coming,  quitted  their  games  to 
follow  our  steps.  "We  had  seen  enough  of  their  character  to 
know  that  nothing  could  be  gained  by  commanding  them  to 
be  gone.  Each  who  had  been  loudest  in  his  play  but  a  mo- 
ment before,  pressed  us  in  piteous  tones  to  give  him  a  penny ; 
and  when  we  alighted,  half  a  dozen  called  us  in  different  di- 
rections to  show  us  the  ruins.  If  we  walked  behind  any  one  of 
them,  he  was  satisfied  that  we  had  engaged  him  as  guide ;  so 
that,  by  the  time  we  were  through,  we  found  ourselves  indebted 
to  them,  by  their  own  calculation,  in  quite  a  considerable  sum. 
The  theatre  itself,  however,  was  interesting  enough,  not- 
withstanding the  disturbance  of  our  clamorous  attendants. 
The  seats  are  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and,  rising  one  above 
the  other,  are  divided  by  alleys  into  three  divisions.  Al- 
though the  lower  part  of  the  theatre  is  covered  over  with 
soil,  and  a  flourishing  wheat  field  occupies  the  arena,  some 
sixty-seven  seats  are  still  visible.  In  one  or  two  places  on  the 
neighboring  rocks,  small  bas-reliefs  were  rudely  sculptured,  of 
which  we  could  make  little.  A  friend  of  mine  at  Athens  told 
me  that  he  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  chief  congresses  dur- 
ing the  Greek  revolution,  which  held  its  session  in  open  au'  in 
this  splendid  monument  of  antiquity.  Behind  the  theatre, 
which  could  seat  about  20,000  persons,  according  to  calcula- 
tions made  from  the  number  of  seats,  rises  the  lofty  Larissa, 
the  castle,  of  modern,  and  the  acropolis  of  old  Argos.  Its 
name  is  sufficient  evidence  of  a  Pelasgian  origin.  It  is  cover- 
ed by  Venetian  fortifications.  The  summit  of  the  hill  was 
probably  the  station  of  that  watchman  whom  the  Tragic  poet 
represents  as  watching  for  ten  long  years,  wet  Avith  the  dews 
of  every  night,  for  the  signal-fires  that  were  to  announce  the 
capture  of  Troy  by  the  Grecian  troops. 


152  THREE    liAYS    IN    ARGOUS*. 

From  the  theatre  of  Argos  we  returned  to  Nauplia.  Our 
route  led  through  the  agora,  or  market-place  of  Argos.  The 
name  is  not  confined  here  to  a  building  or  an  open  square, 
but  is  applied  to  the  portion  of  the  town  where  provisions  and 
other  commodities  are  sold.  There  were  few  or  no  shops, 
every  thing  being  exposed  for  sale  on  cloths  and  carpets  spread 
upon  the  ground  on  either  side  of  the  way.  Like  the  Turkish 
bazars,  the  place  is  noisy  and  crowded ;  every  seller  screams 
in  your  ear,  extolling  the  quality  of  his  wares,  and  you  find 
yourself  heartily  glad  when  no  longer  within  hearing.  There 
were  but  few  houses  between  Argos  and  Nauplia,  a  distance 
of  six  or  seven  miles  ;  but  the  traffic  and  intercommunication 
was  evidently  considerable.  We  reached  the  harbor  a  few 
minutes  prior  to  the  departure  of  the  steamer  on  its  return  to 
Athens,  and  my  companions  hastened  on  board.  As  for  my- 
self, I  concluded  to  vary  the  excursion  by  crossing  to  Corinth 
by  way  of  Nemea,  and  taking  the  steamer  thence  to  Piraeus. 
Since  Demetri  was  to  accompany  the  rest  of  the  party,  I  had 
a  new  pass  made  out,  and  soon  domiciled  myself  in  the  small 
old  "Hotel  of  Peace,"  opposite  the  public  square. 

Mine  host,  who  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  Elias  Giannopoulos, 
finding  that  we  covdd  converse  in  his  own  native  language, 
was  disposed  to  show  me  every  attention.  It  was  too  late  in 
the  afternoon  to  procure  permission  of  the  mayor  to  visit  the 
Palamede ;  but  he  volunteered  to  show  me  the  other  curiosi- 
ties of  the  place.  Pie  took  me  to  the  Church  of  St.  Spiridon, 
a  small  building  in  an  obscure  lane.  "This,"  said  he,  "was 
the  spot  where  Capo  d'lstria,  the  first  president  of  Greece,  was 
slain  by  the  sons  of  Petron  Bey.  The  two  Mavromichalis, 
the  assassins,  stood  a  few  feet  down  the  alley,  and  when  the 
president,  at  the  conclusion  of  divine  service,  issued  from  the 
door  of  the  church,  they  gave  him  a  mortal  wound."  My 
friend  Elias,  though  he  disapproved  of  the  bloody  deed,  and 
admitted  its  utter  uselessness,  did  not  exliibit,  I  must  confess, 
much  sorrow  for  the  murdered  man,  who  was  the  head  of  the 
Russian  party.  He  grew  very  animated  in  describing  the 
abuses  of  the  government  at  Nauplia,  and  the  corruption  in- 
troduced even  into  the  municipal  authority.  IMy  window  at 
the  inn  looked  out  upon  the  monument  erected  to  the  memory 


fASS    OF    TRCKTL'S.  158 

of  Ypsilanti,  of  whom  Elias  was  a  great  admirer.  He  seemed 
very  much  interested  in  learning  that  a  town  in  America  had 
been  named  after  the  favorite  hero  of  this  part  of  Greece. 

As  EUas  was  about  to  send  to  Corinth  to  bring  travelers  to 
liis  hotel,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  procuring  a  horse  and  a  guide 
to  cross  the  Ai'golic  isthmus.  On  rising  the  next  morning,  we 
found  that  the  weather  had  undergone  a  sudden  change  during 
the  night ;  and  instead  of  a  clear,  bright  day,  such  as  we  had 
enjoyed,  the  clouds  hung  threateningly  upon  the  sides  of  the 
hills,  oiFering  but  a  poor  prospect  for  our  long  day's  journey. 
Again  ^\^e  traversed  the  plain  of  Argos,  following  the  same  road 
as  on  the  previous  day ;  and  again  we  lunched  at  the  khan  of 
Kharvati,  near  the  ruins  of  Mycena?.  Here  the  plain  contract- 
ed into  a  valley,  that  shortly  terminated  in  a  narrow  ravine. 
This  was  the  entrance  into  the  Pass  of  Troetus,  famous  in  an- 
tiquity for  its  difficulty.  It  was  here  that,  in  1822,  eight  thou- 
sand Turks,  under  Drami  Ali  Pasha,  after  having  ravaged  the 
whole  Argolic  plain,  and  utterly  destroyed  Argos,  attempted 
to  cross  the  mountains  into  Corinthia.  A  handful  of  Greeks, 
with  Nicetas  at  their  head,  were  posted  at  the  most  defensible 
point  in  the  pass,  while  sixteen  hundred  more  occupied  the 
heigjits  about  the  entrance.  For  a  time  the  Turks  were  per- 
mitted to  advance  unmolested ;  but  when  they  had  fairly  en- 
tered on  the  intricacies  of  the  defile,  they  were  assailed  from 
behind  rocks  and  bushes  with  volleys  of  shot.  In  vain  did  the 
Turks  attempt  to  dislodge  their  unseen  enemies ;  they  had 
to  contend  with  mountaineers,  trained  in  the  rocky  heights  of 
'Mount  Taygetus.  Drami  Ali  hoped,  by  pressing  onward,  to 
free  himself  from  his  perilous  situation.  But  after  two  hours' 
march,  with  the  enemy  continually  killing  numbers  of  his  men, 
he  reached  the  narrowest  part  of  the  pass,  where  Nicetas  had 
been  impatiently  awaiting  his  approach.  Out  of  the  entire 
army  of  the  Turks,  only  two  thousand  succeeded  in  dashing 
through  the  opposmg  force.  About  as  many  more  retreated 
to  Nauplia ;  but  between  three  and  four  thousand  perished  in 
the  fearful  conflict.  Quarter  was  sued  for  by  many ;  but  the 
Greeks  massacred  to  the  last  of  their  enemies.  The  spoil  was 
very  great,  for  the  Turks  were  laden  with  the  plunder  of  Ar- 
gos and  many  Greek  villages.     How  changed  the  scene  now  I 

G  2 


154  THRKE    DAYS    IN    AKGOLIS. 

The  pass  was  the  picture  of  loneliness,  and  not  a  sound  was 
to  be  heard.  It  is  noted  only  for  robbers,  who  have  infested 
it  until  lately.  It  is  ■even  now  considered  the  most  likely 
place  for  their  reappearance ;  although  Peloponnesus  is,  at 
the  present  moment,  entirely  free  from  depredations. 

The  rain  that  had  been  threatening  since  morning  now  be- 
gan to  descend  in  torrents.  In  addition  to  this,  the  cold  was 
excessive  for  the  season  of  the  year ;  and  I  found  an  overcoat 
and  an  umbrella  poor  protection.  My  guide,  Sideri,  wrapped 
in  his  great  cajmte  of  camel's  hair,  fared  much  better.  The 
Pass  of  Troetus  is  long,  and  we  sought  for  shelter,  hoping  that 
the  rain  would  cease,  or  at  least  diminish.  At  length  we 
reached  a  hut ;  but,  upon  opening  the  door,  we  found  the  dark 
interior  crowded  by  a  set  of  Greek  peasants,  Avho  were  en- 
deavoring to  console  themselves  with  the  bottle  for  the  un- 
promising aspect  of  the  weather  without.  Not  relishing  their 
society,  we  pressed  onwai'd,  my  guide  and  a  fellow-traveler 
with  whom  we  had  fallen  in  amusing  themselves  by  singing,  in 
the  nasal  tone  peculiar  to  this  country,  some  Greek  love  ditties. 
Our  new  companion  left  us,  and  pursued  his  way  to  Corinth 
by  the  direct  road,  while  we  turned  to  the  left,  and  proceeded 
to  the  little  valley  of  Hagios  Georgios,  the  ancient  Nemea.  I 
was  determined  to  visit  the  ruins,  whatever  the  chances  of  the 
continuation  of  the  storm.  Some  caves  were  to  be  seen  as  we 
approached  Nemea ;  they  were  those  fancied  by  the  poets  of 
old  to  have  been  the  haunts  of  the  Nemean  lion  slain  by  Her- 
cules. At  length,  from  a  small  elevation,  we  saw  before  us 
the  I'etired  valley  of  Nemea — apparently  about  three  or  four 
miles  long,  and  one  mile  broad — isolated  among  the  high  hills 
of  Argolis.  A  few  minutes  more  brought  us  to  the  Temple 
of  Jupiter. 

It  was  raining  as  hard  as  ever ;  but  I  dismounted  and 
tramped  through  the  high  grass,  to  examine  this  famous  struc- 
ture. There  are  only  three  columns  standing — two  of  which 
belong  to  the  "  pronaos,"  or  chief  entrance,  and  the  third  to 
the  portico  that  ran  before  it.  Yet  the  shape  of  the  edifice 
can  be  made  out  Avith  distinctness,  from  the  lower  course  of 
stones  belonging  to  the  wall.  AH  the  columns  of  the  portico 
that  surrounded  the  temple  lie  strewn  about  tlio  surface  of  the 


I'KMPLE    Oi'    NEMKA. 


1.15 


TKMVLE   OF  JTTPITEE   AT   NEJIEA. 


ground.  The  numerous  earthquakes  with  which  this  portion 
of  the  globe  has  been  visited  have  thrown  down  one  stone 
or  one  pillar  after  another ;  and  where  a  whole  column  has 
fallen  at  once,  its  pieces  lie  on  the  ground  beside  each  other 
in  regular  succession.  The  capital  upon  one  of  the  remaining 
columns  has,  by  the  same  convulsion  of  nature,  been  singular- 
ly shifted  from  its  place ;  and  a  few  more  movements  of  the 
same  kind  will  cause  its  fall.  The  inferiority  of  the  coarse, 
gray  limestone  of  which  the  temple  was  constructed,  but  espe- 
cially the  distance  of  Nemea  from  any  modern  Greek  city, 
have  saved  the  temple  from  spoliation.  It  seems  very  prob- 
able that  there  remain  sufficient  materials  to  reconstruct  the 
greater  part  of  the  edifice.  I  sat  down  upon  the  wet  stones, 
and,  under  the  shelter  of  an  umbrella,  succeeded  in  transfer- 
ring to  paper  a  sketch  of  the  ruins.  The  temple  was  of  the 
Doric  order,  with  a  front  of  six  columns.  A  ruined  chapel 
near  by  was  built  of  the  ruins  of  this  or  some  other  ancient 
edifice  of  the  same  material.  Instead  of  the  busy  scene  which 
this  valley  must  have  presented  two  thousand  years  ago,  when 
crowds  of  pleasui-e-loving  Greeks  thronged  it,  to  behold  the 
games  celebrated  here  evei-y  third  year  in  honor  of  Archem- 
orus,  not  a  single  habitation  stands  within  sight  of  the  temple. 
The  surrounding  fields  are  partly  sown  in  wheat ;  while  a  few 
shepherds  tend  their  flocks  of  black  sheep  and  goats  on  the 
neighboring  hills. 

We  had  entered  the  valley  from  its  southern  end  :  we  left 


15G  THREE  DAYS  IN  ARGOLIS. 

it  by  crossing  the  hills  on  the  eastern  side,  near  a  fountain, 
which  Avas  perhaps  that  of  Adraste.  Then  we  followed  the 
course  of  a  ravine,  until,  descending  to  the  khan  of  Courtessa, 
we  rested  a  while  to  dry  ourselves  and  drink  a  cup  of  hot 
Turkish  coffee.  A  khan  is  a  cottage  provided  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  traveler,  in  which  the  farm-house  and  the  hotel 
are  combined  under  one  roof.  The  khan  of  Courtessa  is  not 
very  different  from  other  khans  throughout  Greece,  but  as  we 
sat  warming  and  drying  ourselves,  I  had  a  good  opportunity  of 
observing  it.  It  is  a  small  building,  with  a  hard  clay  floor,  in 
the  centre  of  which  a  rude  hearth  is  built,  and  the  smoke  must 
find  its  way  out  through  the  chinks  of  the  roof,  or  the  open 
doors  and  windows.  At  the  farther  end,  a  little  room,  or 
closet,  is  raised  above  the  general  level,  with  a  boarded  floor ; 
while  the  other  end  is  fitted  up  as  a  country  store.  The  sides 
of  the  room  are  covered  with  the  various  products  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  floor  is  generally  occupied  at  night  as  a  sleep- 
ing-place, not  only  by  the  family,  but  by  the  countrymen  who 
put  up  there. 

At  Courtessa,  we  entered  upon  a  clayey  country,  where  a 
torrent,  now  quite  full  on  account  of  the  recent  rams,  has  cut 
itself  out  a  deep  channel.  Our  path  crossed  it  very  frequent- 
ly, and  sometimes  we  were  obliged  to  wade  for  a  considerable 
distance.  At  one  place  we  crossed  by  means  of  a  bridge, 
which,  my  companion  informed  me,  had  been  the  head-quarters 
of  a  celebrated  Meft  named  Tambouris,  who  was  accustomed 
to  strip  the  passers-by,  but  was  at  last  captured  and  put  to 
death.  The  ancient  city  of  Cleonje  occupied,  it  is  supposed, 
an  eminence  very  near  Courtessa,  commanding  the  passes. 
At  intervals  we  saw,  on  the  sides  of  the  hills,  caverns  which 
had  been  converted  into  sheep-folds,  by  constructing  a  fence  of 
brushwood  around  their  mouths.  The  huts  of  the  shepherds 
were  built  of  the  same  fragile  materials,  and,  being  destitute 
of  chimney  and  windows,  were  quite  blackened  with  smoke. 

It  was  after  five  o'clock  when  we  began  to  descend  into 
the  plain  of  Corinthia.  The  rain  had  ceased,  and  we  would 
have  enjoyed  a  fine  view  of  the  Gulf,  had  not  hea\y  clouds 
shut  out  the  distance.  As  it  was,  a  broad  plain,  partly  cov- 
ered with  a  flourishinfr  olive-irrove.  was  extended  at  our  feet. 


THE    INN    AT    CORINTH.  157 

stretching  far  beyond  Sicyon  toward  the  west.  When  we 
reached  the  small  "  Hotel  de  Bretagne"  at  Corinth,  the  day 
was  too  near  its  close  to  allow  of  my  ascending  to  the  Acro- 
corinthus ;  besides,  I  hoped  that  the  weather  might  become 
more  propitious  by  morning. 

I  found  that  my  friend,  the  deputy,  who  had  so  kindly  in- 
vited me  to  come  from  Nauplia  under  the  protection  of  his 
escort,  had  arrived  before  me,  and  occupied  the  only  decent 
room  in  the  establishment.  My  own  was  bad  enough.  Mine 
host,  a  red-faced  Ionian,  who  spoke  Italian  better  than  Greek, 
came  to  know  what  I  wished  to  eat.  "  "NVliat  would  you  like," 
said  he,  "  lamb,  beef,  or  eggs,  with  bread  and  butter  V  1 
expressed  myself  perfectly  satisfied  if  I  could  procure  pome  of 
either  of  the  former.  "  I  am  really  most  sorry,"  replied  he ; 
"  but  there  is  not  a  particle  of  meat  in  the  bouse."  •  "  Can 
you  not  procure  some  in  the  village?"  I  asked,  quite  alarmed 
at  the  idea  that,  after  solacing  myself  all  day  with  the  pros- 
pect of  a  good  dinner,  I  stood  a  fair  chance  of  being  starved. 
"  It  is  quite  impossible  ;  there  is  not  a  bit  to  be  found  in  town." 
"  What  in  the  Avorld  have  you,  then  f  1  demanded,  with  some 
repressed  mdignation.  "  Why,  please  your  honor,  there  is 
nothing  but  some  bread  and  eggs."  So  I  dined  on  a  piece  of 
brown  bread  and  two  or  three  eggs,  which,  in  absence  of  spoons, 
were  dispatched  as  best  might  be.  After  which  feast,  I  soon 
threw  myself  on  my  bed  to  await  the  morrow ;  and  solilo- 
quized— 

"Non  cuivis  homini  contingit  adire  Corinthum." 

In  the  morning  I  found  that  the  weather  had  not  improved. 
Having  an  hour  or  two  to  spare,  I  concluded,  nevertheless,  to 
ascend  the  Acrocorinthus,  the  acropolis  of  ancient  Corinth. 
It  is  a  great  hill,  more  than  1800  feet  in  height,  lying  south 
of  the  city.  The  Corinthians  call  it  an  hour's  ride  to  the  top  ; 
we  accomplished  the  ascent  in  somewhat  less  time,  I  believe. 
From  the  Acropolis  of  Athens,  it  differs  in  every  respect ;  being 
not  only  more  lofty,  but  inclosing  a  far  greater  space  within 
its  walls.  The  summit,  too,  is  not  a  level  surface ;  but  it 
could  contain,  as  Ave  know  it  has  contained,  a  large  town. 
Evidences  of  this  fact  are  to  be  seen  in  the  numerous  cisterns, 
etc.,  of  more  ancient  times.     A  ruinous  mosque  or  two  attest 


158  THREE  DAYS  IN  AKGOLIb. 

the  rule  of  the  Turks.  We  woke  from  his  morning  slumbers 
one  of  the  six  soldiers  that  formed  the  entire  garrison,  and  he 
led  us  around  the  fortifications.  These  seemed  strong  enough ; 
but  one  would  say  that,  even  without  them,  the  rocky  preci- 
pices below  Avould  render  the  position  impregnable.  Only 
five  or  six  guns,  I  understood,  were  mounted.  We  lost  all 
that  extensive  prospect  for  which  the  Acrocorinthus  is  cele- 
brated ;  but  had  a  good  view  of  the  two  gulfs,  and  of  the  Bays 
of  Cenchrea  and  Lecheum,  with  the  adjacent  country. 

On  our  return  to  Corinth,  we  spent  a  short  time  in  the  ex- 
amination of  the  only  objects  of  interest  that  remain  on  the 
site  of  a  city  which  once  exceeded  Athens  for  commerce  and 
population — a  temple  in  the  very  midst  of  the  modern  village, 
and  an  amphitheatre  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of  it. 
The  former  is  a  hexastyle  Doric  temple,  of  which  only  five 
columns  belonging  to  the  front,  and  two  on  one  of  the  sides, 
are  yet  standing.  Besides  the  noteworthy  fact,  that  the  only 
temple  of  which  any  trace  exists  at  Corinth  is  of  the  Doric 
order,  it  is  observable  that  the  columns  are  "monoliths,"  or 
composed  of  a  single  block  of  stone.  The  temple  could  never, 
I  think,  have  possessed  much  pretension  to  beauty,  the  propor- 
tions being  too  heavy.  All  the  loose  stones  have  been  incor- 
porated into  the  buildings  of  the  village,  to  which  they  were 
so  conveniently  situated.  The  amphitheatre  is  small  but  in- 
teresting, with  a  subterranean  passage  under  the  seat  of  the 
presiding  officers.  Such  are  the  only  ruins  of  consequence  on 
the  site  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cities  of  Greece.  How 
familiar  must  every  feature  of  the  natural  scenery  have  been 
to  the  Apostle  Paul,  who  resided  here  upward  of  a  year  and  a 
half  (Acts  18:  11,  18),  devoting  himself  to  the  sacred  func- 
tions of  his  office !  Pie  seems,  by  implication,  to  have  come 
to  Corinth  from  Athens  by  land ;  and,  Avhen  he  departed,  he 
sailed  in  a  ship  from  Cenchrea  for  Ephesus.  The  village  of 
Corinth  barely  contains  a  couple  of  thousand  inhabitants.  Its 
houses  are  low  and  poorly  built ;  and  Corinth,  famous  of  old 
for  its  luxuries  and  pleasures,  now  pi'esents  the  aspect  of  a 
miserable  hamlet,  with  nothing  but  the  ancient  name  to  uphold 
its  reputation. 

The  ride  from    Corinth   to   Kalamaki   occupied   about    an 


rUK    ISTIl.ML"^. 


159 


hour  and  a  halt".  The  distance  is  about  seven  miles.  Until 
reaching  the  village  of  Hexamili,  the  road  was  covered  with 
water  from  the  continual  rains.  There  the  road  to  Cenchrea 
branched  off  to  the  right.  In  the  vicinity  of  Kalamaki,  we 
passed  first  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  isthmic  wall,  and  not  long 
after  the  site  of  the  great  ship  canal  that  was  undertaken  to 
unite  the  waters  of  the  Saronic  and  Corinthian  C4ulft.  Here 
the  Avidtli  of  the  isthmus  of  Corinth  is  the  least.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  enterprise  of  the  present  day  will  soon  con- 
struct a  new  canal,  from  which  advantages  so  great  would  re- 
sult to  the  commerce  of  the  world.  The  isthmus  is  but  three 
miles  and  a  half  wide  in  a  direct  line,  and  the  utmost  eleva- 
tion is  250  feet  above  the  sea.  In  this  neighborhood  the 
famous  Isthmian  games  were  celebrated  once  in  four  years. 
A  theatre,  situated  on  the  hill  above  Kalamaki,  can  even  now 
be  recognized,  and  may  have  been  connected  with  their  cele- 
bration. 

At  Kalamaki  I  found  the  Austrian  steamer  waiting  for  the 
passengers  and  merchandise  that  had  landed  from  the  other 
steamer  at  Lutraki,  on  the  Corinthian  Gulf.  At  three  o'clock 
we  started  for  Pirseus,  which  we  reached  at  half  past  six  that 
afternoon. 


TEMPLE  OF  JUPITEB  AT   /EGINA. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


iEGINA  AND  EPIDAUKUS. 

"And  tlience  from  Athens  turn  away  our  eyes, 
To  seek  new  friends  and  strange  companies." 

MiDSUMaiER  Night's  Dream. 

The  months  of  April  and  May  are  the  most  pleasant  of  the 
year  for  traveling  in  Greece,  and  I  had  been  waiting  some  time 
for  agreeable  companions  only  to  commence  my  long-contem- 
plated tour.  By  accident  I  fell  in  "vvith  two  gentlemen — the 
one  an  Englishman,  and  the  other  a  Fi-enchman — who  pro- 
posed pursuing  the  same  route,  and  who  had  reached  Athens 
at  the  most  suitable  season.  In  other  countries  the  traveler  is 
left  comparatively  independent  of  the  rest  of  mankind  in  form- 
ing his  plans.  Almost  every  where  he  will  find  good  roads, 
regular  conveyances,  and  tolerable  hotels.  He  may  spend  at 
a  given  place  just  as  much  time  as  he  shall  find  agreeable ; 
and,  on  leaving,  is  certain  of  meeting  fellow-travelers  similar 
to  those  from  whom  he  has  parted.  Not  so  in  Greece.  Here 
the  tourist  is  tied  down  to  the  same  party,  from  the  time  of 
departure  until  he  once  more  sets  foot  in  Athens — unless,  in- 
deed, he  prefers  proceeding  in  solitary  glory,  with  no  better  com- 
pany than  an  illitei'ate  guide  and  one  or  two  stupid  peasants. 


SELECTION    OF    A    GUIDE.  161 

We  found  that  the  organizing  of  an  expedition  so  extensive 
as  that  which  Ave  had  planned  Avas  the  work  of  some  days. 
Guides  there  Avere  in  abundance  Avilling  to  undertake,  at  a 
lixed  rate  ])cr  diem,  to  conduct  us  into  any  part  of  Greece. 
We  put  an  end  to  their  ri\"al  pretensions  by  a  personal  in- 
spection of  their  equipments.  The  harness  of  the  horses  ;  the 
portable  bedsteads,  table,  and  chairs ;  the  cooking  utensils — all 
underwent  a  rigid  scrutiny :  the  result  of  which  Avas  that  we 
chose  ^Nicholas  Combotteca  for  our  guide.  I  should  not  fail 
to  mention,  hoAvever,  that  the  candidates  for  that  honor  Avere 
questioned  as  to  their  knoAvledge  of  the  route,  and  Ave  satisfied 
ourselves  that  Nicholas  Avas  better  acquainted  Avith  the  locali- 
ties we  were  to  A'isit  than  any  of  his  competitors.  Tuesday, 
April  27th,  was  fixed  upon  as  the  day  for  our  departure,  and 
our  guide  was  empowered  to  engage  a  caique  at  Pirseus,  as  Avell 
as  to  send  on  horses  to  aAvait  our  arrival  at  Epidaurus. 

We  did  not  forget  to  obtain  the  requisite  passes  for  our 
whole  company  at  the  police-office ;  our  passports  were  hap- 
pily laid  aside  for  the  time,  and  AA^e  could  travel  with  a  sim- 
ple order  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  the  other.  With- 
out this  AA'e  should  haAe  been  subject,  at  every  town  or  mount- 
ain pass,  to  be  arrested  as  brigands — the  only  class  that  take 
the  liberty  of  dispensing  with  this  formality  in  Greece. 

At  an  eai'ly  hour  on  the  appointed  day  a  carriage  was 
Avaiting  at  my  door  to  carry  my  companions  and  myself  to 
Piraeus.  Our  luggage,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  every  thing 
was  to  be  carried  hereafter  on  horseback,  Avas  limited,  by 
mutual  consent,  to  a  moderate  carpet-bag,  or  something  of 
equal  bulk.  In  this  bag  we  must,  some  way  or  other,  find 
room  to  stow  away  our  wearing  apparel  for  more  than  a 
month,  and  sundry  guide-books,  Avhich  Ave  severally  contrib- 
uted to  the  general  stock.  On  the  top  of  the  carriage,  and  in 
another  Avhich  had  been  sent  on  before,  w^ere  piled  baskets, 
mattresses — every  thing,  in  short,  that  was  to  conduce  to  our 
future  comfort.  We  had  scarcely  started,  when  my  comrades 
discovered  that  I  had  brought  a  Avatch  Avith  me,  at  which  they 
informed  me  that  they  had  left  theirs  in  the  hotel-keeper's 
hands  for  fear  of  robbers,  and  were  quite  destitute  of  any  jew- 
elry to  tempt  the  avarice  of  the  kle/fs.     Profiting  by  their  ex- 


162  .liGlXA    AND    EPIDAUKUS. 

ample,  I  deposited  mine  in  the  safe-keeping  of  Mr.  Buel  at 
Piraeus,  and  we  then  drove  to  the  wharf.  An  unexpected  de- 
lay awaited  us  here.  The  caique  we  had  engaged  was  at  hand, 
and  ready  to  sail ;  but  the  captain — whose  crew  consisted  of 
two  men  and  a  boy — was  missing.  He  had  gone,  we  were 
informed,  to  get  his  clearance  papers.  The  previous  day  had 
happened  to  be  a  holiday  in  honor  of  the  French  vessels  lying 
in  port,  and  as  none  of  the  public  offices  had  been  open,  we 
were  now  obliged  to  wait  till  the  necessary  papers  could  be 
obtained.  The  consequence  was  the  delay  of  an  hour  or  more 
on  the  wharf,  and  great  indignation  on  the  part  of  Nicholas 
against  the  unoffending  master,  as  well  as  against  custom- 
houses in  general. 

Our  order  finally  came,  and  we  jumped  into  the  small  boat 
that  was  to  take  us  to  the  caique,  lying  in  deeper  water.  Sails 
were  soon  set,  but  the  breeze,  though  favorable,  was  light,  and 
we  advanced  at  a  very  slow  rate.  AVe  left  the  harbor,  and 
passed  the  ruined  moles  at  its  outlet,  adorned  during  the  Mid- 
dle Ages  by  two  lions*  to  guard  the  entrance,  across  which  a 
chain  was  stretched  with  ease.  We  coasted  for  a  time  along 
the  promontory  of  Munychia,  and  then  struck  into  the  Gulf, 
in  a  direct  line  toward  ^gina.  The  Temple  of  Jupiter  Pan- 
hellenius,  the  principal  object  we  wished  to  see  on  the  island, 
occupies  the  nearest,  or  northeastern  corner,  about  twelve 
miles  distant.  We  were  hardly  half  way  across  before  the 
favorable  breeze  gradually  died  away,  and  at  noon  a  souther- 
ly wind  sprang  up.  Our  man  Nicholas,  with  the  assistance 
of  the  Arab  cook,  set  us  a  table  on  the  deck,  around  which 
we  collected  with  the  best  of  appetites ;  and  the  dinner,  in 
truth,  was  not  a  bad  one.  Indeed,  we  never  had  the  least 
reason  to  complain  of  our  fare.  The  only  inconvenience  ex- 
perienced at  this  time  was  an  occasional  roll  of  the  boat ;  and 
once  or  twice  we  narrowly  escaped  having  our  viands  precip- 
itated into  the  sea  by  the  shifting  of  the  boom  as  the  sail 
flapped  to  and  fro.     Meanwhile  we  were  making  little  or  no 

*  The  lions,  which  were  of  marhle,  were  carried  awav  l\y  the  Vene- 
tians during  their  invasion  of  Greece,  and  now  gi-ace  the  entrance  of 
their  arsenal.  Notwithstanding  their  loss,  the  harbor  long  continued  to 
retain  the  name  of  Porte  Leone. 


DEVOTIONS    OF    THE    SAILOKS.  1G3 

progress.  To  console  ourselves,  I  lay  upon  the  deck  of  our 
caique  reading  whatever  books  we  had  providently  placed  in 
our  carpet-bags,  and  my  companions  solaced  themselves  by 
smokino;  their  loner  chebouks. 

We  had  a  small  cabin,  for  our  craft  was  of  twelve  or  fifteen 
tons  burden ;  but  as  it  was,  we  gave  it  as  wide  a  berth  as 
possible.  The  smell  of  the  confined  air  and  bilge-water  was 
unendurable,  and  we  would  have  preferred  being  thoi'oughly 
drenched  on  deck  to  taking  refuge  in  the  hold.  On  one  side 
of  this  cabin  was  hung  a  small  painting,  or  ico7i,  of  Saint 
Nicholas,  before  which  the  devout  sailors  lighted  a  small  lamp 
in  his  honor.  Beside  it  was  another  religious  print,  such  as 
are  found  in  abundance  about  here,  but  the  subject  we  could 
not  make  out  by  the  dim  light.  Every  class  of  society  in 
Greece  has  for  its  patron  some  one  of  the  saints,  or  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  who  is  presumed  to  look  dowTi  with  complacency 
upon  his  or  her  worshippers.  The  manufacture  of  these  mis- 
erable engravings,  or  still  more  WTetched  daubs  in  oil-colors 
upon  wood,  is  a  lucrative  employment.  Every  house  must 
have  one  of  the  precious  representations.  It  is  a  well-attest- 
ed fact  that  even  the  burglar,  who  breaks  into  your  house  at 
midnight,  and  the  pirate,  who  assassinates  upon  the  high  seas, 
are  no  less  devout  in  this  respect  than  their  more  honest  neigh- 
bors. One  of  the  modern  saints  has  usurped  the  place  of  Mer- 
cury, the  god  of  robbers.  The  shrine  of  this  patron  is  enrich- 
ed with  the  full  tithe  of  the  unholy  gains  of  the  avowed  out- 
law, who  promises  himself,  in  return,  not  only  success  and 
immunity  in  this  world,  but  a  bright  crown  and  plenary  for- 
giveness in  the  next.  It  is  said  that  the  visitor  may  have 
pointed  out  to  him  at  one  of  the  most  celebrated  shrines  in 
the  land — that  of  the  Evangelista  at  Tenos — votive  offerings 
well  known  to  have  been  hung  on  its  walls  by  the  pirates  in 
return  for  some  fancied  benefit  received.  Such  ideas  of  com- 
mon morality  as  this  circumstance  implies  may  well  shock  the 
sensibilities  of  those  who  have  been  educated  in  a  more  en- 
lightened land ;  but  they  ai'e  the  legitimate  offspring  of  a  sys- 
tem which  elevates  the  ecclesiastical  above  the  moral  duties 
of  man.  Some  saints  appear  to  have  a  stronger  hold  upon 
the  religious  feelings  or  imaginations  of  the  people  than  oth- 


164  ^GINA    AND    El^IDALRUS. 

ers.  It  may  be  doubted  whether  the  faithful  in  Greece  do 
not  possess  as  many  representations  of  St.  George  and  the 
Dragon  as  does  the  whole  island  of  Great  Britain,  while  there 
is  certainly  more  honor  paid  to  St.  Nicholas  than  even  in  the 
goodly  city  of  the  Manhattoes. 

All  day  we  enjoyed  a  very  extensive  and  beautiful  view. 
The  eye  ranged  over  the  whole  circuit  of  the  Saronic  Gulf, 
and  the  prospect  included,  besides  the  Acrocorinthus,  the 
snow-capped  summits  of  Cithajron,  of  Cyllene,  and  of  Khel- 
mos.  The  plain  of  Athens,  too,  was  visible  in  almost  its 
whole  extent.  On  the  right  of  it,  Mount  Hymettus,  which, 
from  Athens,  appears  to  be  one  continuous  ridge,  was  seen  to 
be  separated  into  two  distinct  masses. 

By  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  were  lying  almost  be- 
calmed within  a  mile  or  two  of  the  island.  Leaving  the  caique 
to  come  on  more  leisurely,  we  got  into  the  small  boat  and 
rowed  to  the  nearest  point  of  the  shore.  We  reached  an  an- 
cient landing-place,  and  proceeded  by  the  shortest  path  to  the 
temple.  The  island  is  high  and  rugged,  measuring  about 
eight  miles  on  each  of  its  three  sides — its  shape  being  that  of 
an  equilateral  triangle.  The  soil  is  rocky  and  barren,  and  it 
can  at  the  present  time  support  but  a  small  population.  It 
was  probably  in  consequence  of  this  infertility  of  the  soil 
•  that  the  ^ginetans  early  turned  their  attention  to  commerce, 
and  so  became  the  rivals  of  Athens  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  cen- 
turies before  the  Christian  era.  The  town  of  ^gina,  howev- 
er, was  situated  farther  westward.  We  crossed  in  our  walk  a 
few  cultivated  fields,  but  for  the  greater  part,  the  ground  on 
either  side  was  too  rough  to  be  tilled,  and  was  very  dry.  It 
was,  nevertheless,  a  very  paradise  of  flowers,  of  those  rich  and 
varied  hues  that  are  characteristic  of  this  climate.  Before  we 
regained  our  boat,  we  had  gathered  a  variety  of  species,  of 
which  we  were  compelled,  though  with  reluctance,  to  throw 
the  larger  part  away. 

The  Temple  of  Jupiter  Panhellenius,  which  some  antiqua- 
rians suppose  to  be  rather  that  of  Minerva,  occupies  the  sum- 
mit of  an  eminence  at  the  very  northeastern  corner  of  the  isl- 
and, and  overlooks  the  sea  on  two  sides.  There  were  origin- 
ally six  columns  on  the  fronts,  and  thirteen  on  each  side  of  the 


TEMPLE    OE    JUPITER    PANHELLEMUS.  165 

temple,  forming  a  portico  that  ran  around  the  entire  building. 
Most  of  these  are  yet  standing,  much  corroded  by  the  action 
of  the  storms  that  beat  with  resistless  violence  upon  this  un- 
sheltered spot.  They  are  of  the  Doric  order,  and  are  distin- 
guished from  those  of  the  Parthenon  and  Theseum  by  their 
less  slender  shape.  The  inside  of  the  inclosure  is  now  an  al- 
most indiscriminate  pile  of  blocks  of  stone,  overgrown  with 
ivy,  and  with  small  shrubs  of  prickly  oak.  No  vestige  remains 
of  the  numerous  sculptured  slabs  which  used  to  adorn  the 
sti'uctiu'e.  The  fragments  of  statuaiy  found  in  the  vicinity, 
in  the  year  1812,  were  purchased  by  the  late  King  of  Bavaria 
for  the  sum  of  £6000,  and  are  now  in  the  collection  at  Mu- 
nich. Among  the  principal  peculiarities  of  these  representa- 
tions is  their  strict  adherence  to  nature ;  but  they  are  less 
gi-aceful  than  the  subsequent  works  of  Phidias  on  the  Parthe- 
non, and  preserve  more  of  the  stiffness  that  characterizes  the 
labors  of  an  earlier  age.  It  has  sorely  puzzled  the  learned  to 
find  upon  them  the  traces  of  paint ;  from  which  it  appeai-s 
that  the  drapery,  eyes,  lips,  and  arms  were  colored.  Many  of 
the  figures  Avould  seem  to  have  been  covered  with  armor  of 
bronze  fastened  on  by  means  of  nails,  the  holes  of  which  are 
to  be  seen.  Some  preconceived  ideas  of  the  taste  of  the  an- 
cients, too,  have  been  sadly  shocked  by  the  discovery  that  the 
building  itself  was  not  sufiered  to  retain  its  natural  color.  The 
cella,  or  body  of  the  temple,  was  painted  red,  the  tympanum 
sky-blue ;  the  architrave,  above  the  columns,  was  vai*iegated 
with  yellow  and  green  foliage,  the  triglyphs,  still  higher  up, 
being  colored  blue.* 

While  I  sat  down  near  by  the  southwestern  corner  of  the 
temple  to  sketch  it,  J.  was  measuring  the  temple  by  means  of 
the  tape  he  carried  with  him — a  practice  to  which  he  was  very 
much  addicted.  The  dimensions  of  the  building,  the  size  of 
the  columns,  and  the  proportions  of  the  architectural  details, 
were  noted  in  a  pocket-book.  Thence  they  were  transferred 
in  the  evening  to  a  journal,  after  a  careful  comparison  with 
those  given  by  Leake  and  others,  with  as  much  satisfaction  as 

*  See  C.  O.  MixLER's  Ancient  Art  and  its  Remains,  translated  by 
Leitch,  p.  48.  The  temple  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected  near  the 
same  time  with  the  Temple  of  Theseus,  about  B.C.  465. 


166  ^GINA    AND    EPIDAUKUS. 

a  cockney  experiences  when,  having  read  the  description  of 
the  Apollo  Belvidere  in  the  Vatican,  he  pronounced  Murray 
"  all  right."  It  is  but  justice  to  J.  to  add  that  he  was  much 
interested  in  architecture,  and  that  his  painstaking  was  not  in 
reality  so  useless  as  it  appeared. 

We  were  loth  to  leave  the  charming  site,  with  its  extensive 
prospect  over  the  island  and  the  surrounding  gulf;  but  we  had 
to  hurry  back  to  our  boat.  I  believe  that  we  did  not  meet  a 
single  man  on  our  way,  so  small  is  the  population  of  this  bar- 
ren part  of  -ZEgina.  On  the  distant  left  we  saw  the  ruined 
town,  which  the  inhabitants  abandoned  for  the  coast  in  the 
time  of  Capo  d'Istria's  rule.  We  passed  no  dwelling-houses 
at  all,  but  several  churches,  one  of  them  built  on  the  summit 
of  a  hill.  We  found  our  captain  had  in  the  mean  while  suc- 
ceeded finally  in  getting  the  caique  along  shore.  The  place 
where  we  re-embarked  was  a  miniature  harbor  of  a  neai'ly  cir- 
cular shape,  cut  out  of  the  rock,  which  is  idmost  level  with 
the  water's  edge.  It  was  evidently  made  by  the  ancients,  to 
whom  it  pi'obably  served  as  the  port  of  the  Temple,  which 
was  completely  isolated  from  the  habitations  of  men.  We  no- 
ticed on  its  shores  the  foundations  of  a  building  or  bath  in  a 
depression  of  the  rock. 

With  a  fair  wind  we  sailed  rapidly  along  the  northern  side 
of  ^gina ;  then,  as  we  turned  southward,  passed  on  our  left 
the  modern  city  of  ^gina,  a  place  of  some  note  in  the  time 
of  the  Revolution,  until  the  removal  of  the  capital  to  Athens. 
In  ancient  times  the  Athenians  laid  the  first  foundations  of 
their  maritime  supremacy  on  the  ruins  of  the  wealthy  vEgine- 
tans,  the  inventors  of  the  coining  of  silver  money ;  and  the 
same  process  has  been  repeated  of  late  in  a  more  pacific  Avay. 
The  museum,  the  gymnasium,  and  other  pubhc  institutions, 
have  been  transferred  to  the  new  capital ;  and  at  the  present 
hour  the  little  town  of  ^^gina  is  altogether  devoid  of  interest. 
At  about  nine  in  the  evening  we  reached  the  opening  of  the 
harbor  of  Epidaurus,  which  we  entered  with  some  difficulty, 
after  tacking  several  times.  It  was  full  half  past  ten  before 
we  landed. 

Nicholas  led  us  to  a  house  near  by,  half  khan,  and  half  pri- 
vate dwelling ;  but  it  was  closed  for  the  night,  and  the  inmates 


DECLARATION    OK    INDEPENDENCE.  1G7 

were  buried  in  their  slumbers.  Thereupon  our  -worthy  guide 
commenced  a  loud  rapping  at  the  door,  and  soon  roused  the 
owner,  who  loudly  inquired  from  within  the  cause  of  this  un- 
seasonable interruption.  The  master  of  the  house  in  vain 
pleaded,  from  within  his  bolted  door,  the  old  excuse  that  "  his 
children  were  with  him  in  bed;"  we  were  pertinacious.  A 
room  was  cleared  with  a  little  difficulty,  by  the  removal  of 
half  a  dozen  drowsy  heads.  Our  guide  aiTanged  our  beds,  and 
we  retired  to  rest  under  the  tutelary  watch  of  St.  George, 
whose  image,  lighted  up  by  a  flickering  taper,  adorned  the 
wall  of  our  chamber. 

The  next  morning  we  rose  at  an  early  hour,  having  a  good 
day's  work  before  us ;  and  after  breakfast,  while  our  attend- 
ants were  loading  the  horses  with  our  luggage,  we  went  around 
the  harbor  of  Epidaurus  to  see  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
Acropolis.  The  modern  village,  consisting  of  perhaps  fifty 
houses,  somewhat  better  built  than  the  common  dwellings  of 
the  peasantry,  occupies  one  side  of  the  bay.  It  bears  the 
name  of  Pidauro  or  Pidaura,  which  is  only  a  slight  change 
from  Epidauros,  the  ancient  appellation.  It  would  scarcely 
have  appeared  on  the  page  of  modern  history,  had  not  this, 
fortunately,  been  the  spot  chosen  for  the  meeting  of  the  first 
National  Assembly.  Here,  on  the  1st  of  January  (old  style), 
1822,  the  following  declaration  of  independence  was  framed 
and  given  to  the  world : 

"  The  Greek  nation,  under  the  dreadful  Othoman  rule,  un- 
able to  endure  the  most  heavy  and  unparalleled  yoke  of  tyran- 
ny, and  casting  it  off  with  great  sacrifices,  proclaims  this  day, 
through  its  lawful  Representatives,  in  National  Assembly  con- 
vened, and  in  the  sight  of  God  and  of  men,  its  political  exist- 
ence and  independence."* 

A  foot-path  led  us  ai'ound  the  head  of  the  harbor,  skirting  a 
naiTow  marsh.  A  man  who  came  along  with  us  conducted 
us  first  to  two  statues  lying  hidden  in  the  fields  of  wheat. 
They  were  much  mutilated,  and  did  not  show  many  traces  of 
fine  chiseling.  They  were  probably  both  recumbent  figures 
on  slabs  of  marble,  serving  as  tops  of  monuments.  Two  or 
three  of  much  superior  execution  have  been  taken  to  Athens 
*  Howe's  Sketch  of  the  Greek  Revolution,  p.  73. 


V".  ■ 

168  ALGVsA    ASD    EPID4UKUS. 

or  elsewhere.  The  ancient  city  occupied  the  high  termina- 
tion of  a  tongue  of  land  that  forms  the  southern  side  of  the 
harbor.  We  were  first  led  to  a  long  line  of  ancient  wall  run- 
ning along  the  southern  side  parallel  to  the  shore ;  it  seemed 
to  have  been  the  wall  of  the  city.  The  stones  it  is  composed 
of  are  polygonal,  of  that  construction  which  goes  under  the 
name  of  Cyclopean,  closely  fitting  one  to  another.  Their  size 
is  not  remarkable  ;  there  are  few  more  than  three  feet,  or  three 
and  a  half  in  length,  and  most  are  much  smaller.  At  another 
spot  higher  up  there  are  remains  of  a  wall  built  in  regular 
courses,  and  with  cement,  which  is  a  sure  indication  of  its 
more  recent  date ;  for  until  the  Romans  conquered  Greece 
there  is  no  trace  of  any  mortar  having  been  employed  in  the 
building  of  walls.  On  the  whole,  however,  we  saw  nothing 
of  much  interest  on  the  site  of  the  city,  where  we  cleared  our 
way  through  a  tangled  undergrowth  of  shrubs.  To  see  the 
vegetation  of  Greece  in  all  its  glory,  this  is  decidedly  the  most 
favorable  time.  Every  spot  where  a  plant  can  find  room  for 
its  root  is  covered  with  a  blooming  profusion  of  wild  beauties. 

We  returned  to  Epidaurus  in  season  to  find  eveiy  thing 
ready  for  departure.  It  is  time  that  I  should  give  some  ac- 
count of  our  aiTangements.  Nicholas,  who  superintended  the 
whole  preparations,  had  sent  on  to  Corinth  to  procure  the 
horses,  which  had  arrived  at  Epidaurus  the  previous  day. 
These  amounted  to  eight,  all  told.  Besides  the  three  which 
my  companions  and  I  rode,  our  guide  had  a  fourth.  The  oth- 
er four  were  pack-horses,  upon  whose  patient  backs  were  piled 
an  indiscriminate  mass  of  portable  bedsteads,  beds,  table,  and 
chairs,  with  every  utensil  that  might  be  needed  for  a  month  to 
come.  One  horse  was  specially  to  be  noted  fi'om  the  quantity 
of  kettles  and  cooking  apparatus  dangling  from  its  sides: 
above  all  which  was  perched  our  indispensable  Arab.  To 
attend  the  pack-horses  we  needed  three  more  men,  who  served 
as  agoyates. 

Our  company  altogether  must  have  presented  rather  a  com- 
ical appearance  as  we  defiled  along  the  narrow  path  leading 
out  of  Epidaurus.  The  van  was  led  by  our  guide,  Nicholas 
Combotteca — a  man  of  some  thirty-five  summers;  thin,  and 
clad  in  the  common  Albanian  costume.      A  pretty  good-hu- 


IIIEKO    OF    ^SCULAPIUS.  169 

mored  man  he  is,  but  variable,  and,  for  the  most  part,  reserved. 
Nicholas,  though  possessed  of  little  leai-ning,  is  our  leader. 
Next  in  importance  comes  lanni,  our  cook.  Though  his  face 
is  black  as  coal,  he  holds  his  head  as  high  as  the  best,  and 
boasts  of  having  been  cook  to  the  greatest  folks  in  the  king- 
dom. His  father  came  from  Arabia,  I  believe ;  but  lanni 
prides  himself  upon  having  been  born  on  Grecian  soil.  No 
ill-will  or  dislike  existed  between  lanni  and  the  drivers,  for 
no  prejudice  against  his  color  prevails  in  these  parts.  At  any 
hour  in  the  com-se  of  the  day  you  might  find  him  at  his  work, 
his  face  radiant  with  contentment.  lanni's  importance  com- 
menced where  that  of  Nicholas  terminated.  On  reaching  the 
end  of  our  day's  journey,  the  pack-horses  were  drawn  up  to  the 
door  of  the  khan,  or,  as  was  more  frequently  the  case,  of  the 
private  house ;  and  lanni  was  the  first  to  enter,  carrying  a 
pair  of  saddle-bags  on  his  arm.  Every  thing  within  reach  was 
laid  under  contribution  to  furnish  us  with  a  dinner.  Indeed 
it  used  to  add  no  little  relish  to  our  meals  to  wonder  where 
lanni  could  have  procured  the  matei'ials  for  them. 

The  rear  was  brought  up  by  the  four  agoyates.  Panaghi- 
otes,  their  leader,  is  an  arrant  hypocrite,  but  making  great 
pretensions  to  strict  honesty.  He  is  chief  proprietor  of  the 
beasts  of  burden ;  while  the  others  are  part  owners.  Two 
disputed  among  themselves  the  honor  of  being  the  "  last  man ;" 
and  they  might  often  be  seen  far  in  the  distance  running  to 
catch  up  with  our  caravan.  Our  own  equipages  wei-e  not 
of  a  very  superior  oi'der.  J.'s  horse  was  unfortunately  given 
to  falling  and  losing  his  shoes  in  rocky  places ;  and  the  other 
beasts  were  not  much  better. 

Our  baggage  was  sent  on  toward  Nauplia,  by  the  direct 
road  passing  through  the  village  of  Ligourio.  We  turned  off 
to  the  left,  to  visit  the  ruins  of  the  Hiero,  or  Sacred  Inclosure, 
of  Epidaurus.  This  ancient  town  obtained  the  whole  of  its 
celebrity  from  the  sacred  grove  and  temple  of^-Esculapius,  sit- 
uated at  the  distance  of  some  four  or  five  miles,  in  a  secluded 
valley.  The  road  thither  followed  for  a  while  a  ravine  which 
ascends  from  Epidaurus ;  this,  by-and-by,  contracted  into  a 
mere  mountain  glen.  The  ascent  was  very  slight  at  any  point. 
The  mountains  on  either  side  were  rocky  to  the  extreme,  with 

H 


170  JEGINA    AND    EPIDAURUS. 

rounded  summits,  and  almost  entirely  bare  of  trees.  One  of 
them,  by  the  name  of  Qilta,  seemed  to  be  very  lofty.  We  rode 
directly  to  the  most  interesting  object  remaining — the  ruins 
of  the  theatre,  one  of  the  largest  extant  within  the  limits  of 
Greece  proper.  We  dismounted  and  climbed  up  the  rows  of 
marble  seats  to  explore  it.  The  form  is  finely  preserved,  and 
row  after  row  of  seats  may  be  counted,  to  the  number  of  fifty- 
six  or  seven,  upon  which  it  has  been  calculated  that  twelve 
thousand  persons  might  be  seated  and  witness  the  perform- 
ances of  the  stage.  As  in  most  other  ruins  of  modem  Greece, 
the  prickly  oak  has  sprung  up  in  the  narrow  flights  of  steps 
leading  up  the  cavea,  and  has  often  torn  away  the  marble 
benches  of  the  spectators.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  theatre 
is  undoubtedly  the  best  preserved  in  Greece.  The  arrange- 
ments of  such  a  building  may  be  better  learned  by  an  exam- 
ination of  this  edifice  than  by  any  other.  From  the  orchestra 
ascended  no  fewer  than  twenty-four  small  staircases,  dividing 
the  audience,  and  givmg  ready  access  to  every  part  of  the  the- 
atre. As  usual,  the  architect,  in  selecting  the  site,  had  taken 
advantage  of  a  small  recess  or  hollow,  which  with  very  little 
labor  was  made  to  assume  the  requisite  shape.  Some  idea  of 
the  size  of  this  theatre  may  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  its 
diameter  was  about  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet. 

Our  guide  led  us  next  to  the  Stadium,  which  is  to  be  recog- 
nized only  by  its  outline,  and  by  a  few  scattered  seats.  It  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  very  large  one,  though  not  to  compare 
with  that  of  Athens.  Li  the  very  midst  of  the  sacred  inclos- 
ure  are  the  few  and  uncertain  remains  of  the  famous  Temple  of 
iEsculapius,  around  which  the  other  buildings  were  arranged 
as  subordinate  in  importance.  We  could  distinguish  nothing 
but  a  mass  of  wi'ought  stone,  indicating  the  general  form  of 
the  building.  Near  by  are  the  more  undoubted  remains  of 
ancient  baths,  built  in  Roman  times  for  the  reception  of  the 
health-giving  waters  of  the  place ;  for  Epidaurus  served  the 
purpose  of  a  fashionable  watering-place;  and  the  theatre 
proves  that  the  frequenters  of  the  baths  were  unwilling  to 
forego  even  here  their  customaiy  amusements.  The  cisterns, 
to  which  a  small  conduit  leads,  are  extensive.  One  of  those 
we  passed  was  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  or  thirty 


AN    ANCIENT    WATERING-PLACE.  171 

feet  long,  the  brick  walls  of  the  Koman  structure  being  sup- 
ported by  what  appeared  to  be  an  earlier  Greek  masonry. 
Among  the  confused  remains  of  ancient  temples,  baths,  and 
perhaps  less  considerable  edifices,  strewing  the  whole  valley,  it 
is  difficult  to  recognize  any  one  of  those  buildings  whose  splen- 
dor is  portrayed  in  brilliant  colors  by  the  tourists  who  gazed, 
two  thousand  years  ago,  upon  the  same  localities,  with  min- 
gled curiosity  and  awe.  In  those  days  the  sick  of  all  kinds 
flocked  to  the  fane  of  the  wonder-working  demigod,  and  wheth- 
er it  was  the  healing  influence  of  the  medicinal  waters,  or  the 
efiect  of  imagination,  numbers  returned  to  their  homes,  as  they 
supposed,  the  subjects  of  marvelous  cures.  We  may  readily 
believe  that  it  was  esteemed  more  fashionable  to  be  restored 
to  health  by  the  miraculous  interposition  of  the  god  and  his 
serpent,  than  by  the  more  practical,  but  more  ignoble,  influ- 
ence of  drugs.  The  walls  of  the  temple  were  crowded  with 
tablets  descriptive  of  cures,  and  rich  vdth  gifts  suspended  by 
the  invalids  who  had  been  relieved ;  much  as  in  some  of  the 
popular  shrines  of  Italy  at  the  present  day.  The  sanctity  of 
the  inclosure,  however,  proved  but  a  weak  barrier  to  the  cu- 
pidity of  those  who  conquered  the  country,  even  before  the 
Christian  era.* 

After  an  hour's  delay  we  rode  on,  and,  leaving  the  secluded 
valley  of  Hiero,  reached  a  small  village  by  the  name  of  Ligou- 
rio.     At  the  khan  we  sat  down  for  a  few  minutes  to  lunch. 

*  The  ordinaiy  sacrifice  to  iEsculapius  was  of  a  cock,  whose  head  was 
generally  wrung  off.  The  body,  I  presume,  fell  to  the  share  of  the  priests. 
Such  a  sacrifice  Socrates  is  represented  as  enjoining  his  friend  to  offer, 
while  lying  on  his  couch  before  his  death ;  assuredly  not  in  the  so-called 
"  prison  of  Socrates."  The  singularity  of  the  matter  is,  that  this  custom, 
like  many  others  in  Modern  Greece,  has  survived  the  lapse  of  so  many 
centuries,  and  the  fall  of  paganism.  Dr.  Koser,  the  king's  physician — 
himself,  therefore,  a  votary  of  -^sculapius — told  me  that,  while  at  Ca- 
landri,  a  village  some  five  or  six  miles  distant  from  Athens,  he  saw  a 
child  to  whose  neck  a  dead  pullet  had  been  tied,  as  a  sort  of  charm.  In 
some  parts  of  the  country  women  often  have  a  cock  strangled  to  insure 
their  safe  confinement ;  and  the  interest  of  their  attendants  is  consult- 
ed, since  the  fowl  is  aftenvard  given  to  them.  In  Macedonia,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  healthy  teething  of  a  child  is  supposed  to  be  secured  by 
its  parents  by  means  of  cakes  covered  with  sweets,  distributed  to  other 
children. 


172  ^GINA   AND    EPIDAURUS. 

This  place,  it  is  supposed,  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  Les- 
sa.  The  valley  into  which  we  had  crossed  was  cultivated 
with  considerable  care,  every  available  spot  being  planted 
with  grain.  As  we  were  yet  some  distance  from  Nauplia,  we 
rode  rapidly  forward,  leaving  our  guide  to  come  on  more  leis- 
urely with  one  of  the  horses  which  had  lost  its  shoe ;  nor,  in- 
deed, Avas  there  any  thing  of  interest  to  detain  us  along  the 
way.  The  mountains,  barren  and  rocky  on  either  side,  pres- 
ently left  between  them  only  an  arid  and  stony  glen,  where  the 
eye  could  scarcely  rest  upon  a  shrub  or  tree.  Not  a  single 
hamlet  did  we  pass,  until  at  length,  emerging  from  the  hills, 
after  a  wearisome  ride,  we  saw  before  us  the  Palamede  of 
Nauplia,  beneath  which  the  quiet  town  nestles  along  the  wa- 
tei-'s  edge.  Having  overtaken  our  baggage  train  just  before 
approaching  the  gates,  we  fell  into  single  file,  and  threaded  the 
somewhat  intricate  lanes  of  Nauplia.  The  "  Hotel  of  Peace," 
of  my  quondam  friend  EUas,  was  again  our  rendezvous ;  and 
albeit  remarkable  neither  for  cleanliness  nor  for  spaciousness, 
we  long  treasured,  in  our  subsequent  wanderings,  the  memory 
of  its  humble  luxuries. 


INTEKIOK    OF   THE    KUAN   OF  GEOEGITZANA. 


CHAPTER  Xin. 


MANTIXEA—TRIPOLITZA— SPARTA. 

On  rising  the  next  morning,  we  found  the  weather  foul.  It 
had  been  raining  all  night,  and  there  were  no  indications  of  a 
respite.  We  debated  the  expediency  of  taking  a  carriage  to 
make  the  tour  of  the  plain  of  Argos  ;  but,  on  inquiry,  learned 
that  the  roads  were  too  muddy  for  any  wheeled  vehicle.  "We 
sallied  out,  therefore,  on  horseback,  at  a  little  before  eight, 
leaving  our  agoyates  to  proceed,  with  the  baggage,  along  the 
direct  road  to  Argos.  As  for  ourselves,  we  set  forth  to  visit 
the  ruined  cities  of  Tiryns  and  Mycenae.  I  shall  not  detain 
the  reader  with  a  full  description  of  these  places,  which  have 
been  mentioned  elsewhere.  The  plain  of  Argos,  always  cele- 
brated for  its  fertility,  was  now  much  more  flourishing  than 
it  had  been  three  or  four  weeks  previous.  The  view  of  the 
mountains  all  around  was,  however,  limited  by  the  heavy 
clouds  hanging  over  their  sides.  Late  in  the  afternoon  they 
began  to  break,  and  when  we  reached  Argos  we  had  ample 
time  to  climb  the  high  and  steep  Larissa  that  overhangs  the 
town  toward  the  west.  A  winding  path  led  us  gi-adually 
around  the  hill,  and  presently  we  found  ourselves  on  the  sum- 
mit, commanding  an  extensive  prospect  over  the  plain.  About 
us  were  the  dismantled  towers  and  battlements  of  the  Vene- 


174  MANTTNEA TRIPOLITZA SPARTA. 

tian  or  Frank  fortifications,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  castle  we 
found  a  couple  of  large  cisterns  hewn  out  in  the  rock.  Dur- 
ing the  late  wars,  the  possession  of  this  strong  position  was 
warmly  contested  by  the  Greeks  and  the  Turks.  Its  almost 
impregnable  strength  commanded  the  passes  to  the  south  along 
the  sea-shore,  as  well  as  the  neighboring  plain.  But  now  the 
deserted  walls  are  shattered  and  untenable.  May  the  time 
never  return  when  it  shall  become  necessary  to  repair  their 
ruins,  and  the  sound  of  war  shall  again  be  heard  in  the  depop- 
ulated valleys  of  Greece. 


WALL   OF  TUE  CITADEL   AT  AEG08. 


On  the  morrow  we  rose  early  to  accomplish  the  long  day's 
journey  before  us.  It  was  our  purpose  to  reach  Tripolitza 
that  night,  visiting  on  our  way  the  site  of  ancient  Mantinea. 
There  is  a  steep  mountain  path,  practicable  only  in  the  sum- 
mer season,  across  the  close  range  that  bounds  the  plain  on 
the  west,  separating  it  from  the  inland  district  of  Arcadia. 
We  soon  discovered  that  the  recent  heavy  fall  of  snow  had 
formed  a  trackless  waste,  and  we  were  compelled  to  turn  con- 
siderably to  the  southward  to  reach  an  easier  pass.  In  doing 
so,  we  skirted  the  Lernian  marsh,  or,  rather,  left  it  some  dis- 
tance on  our  left.  This  locality,  so  famous  as  the  habitual 
resort  of  the  Hydra,  slain  by  the  strong  arm  of  Hercules,  is  at 
present  haunted  by  a  no  less  formidable  and  destructive  mon- 
ster, in  the  guise  of  the  fever  or  "  malaria."  When  another 
deliverer  shall  arise  and  free  the  country  from  its  baleful  in- 
fluence, he  will  be  quite  as  deserving  of  the  remembrance  of 
mankind  as  the  deified  hero. 

Before  leaving  the  plain  of  Argos,  we  came  to  the  source  of 
the  Erasinus,  a  river  which  empties,  after  the  course  of  a  mile 
or  two,  into  the  Gulf.     This  is  not  a  small  spring,  but  an  en- 


A    KATAVOTHRON.  175 

tire  stream,  that  bursts  out  from  the  rock  with  great  violence, 
and  is  evidently  a  subteiTaneous  river.  Both  ancients  and 
moderns  have  agreed  in  supposing  it  to  be  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Stymphalus,  full  twenty-five  miles  distant.  It  is,  in  fact,  such 
an  opening  as  the  modern  Greeks  call  a  katavothron  ;  that  is, 
a  chasm,  through  which  a  stream  worms  its  way  beneath  en- 
tire chains  of  mountains.  In  the  high,  mountainous  country 
of  Arcadia  the  rains  fall  more  abundantly  than  in  any  other 
part  of  Greece,  but,  at  the  same  time,  there  are  fewer  outlets 
for  the  streams.  Huge  and  undivided  ranges  oppose  them- 
selves to  the  progress  of  the  waters,  which,  collecting  in  the 
hollow  valleys,  form  those  pretty  lakes  that  diversify  that  dis- 
trict, and  present  so  striking  a  contrast  to  the  aridity  of  the 
neighboring  regions.  The  whole  of  Arcadia,  however,  would 
soon  be  converted  into  a  single  pond  were  there  not  some 
means  of  discharge  for  the  superfluous  waters.  Fortunately 
the  prevailing  rocks  are  soft,  and  for  the  most  part  limestone. 
Through  them,  in  the  course  of  ages,  the  streams  have  grad- 
ually worn  themselves  a  passage,  and  thus,  after  an  under- 
ground channel  of  several  miles,  find  egress  into  the  lower 
lands,  whence,  in  general,  they  easily  take  their  way  to  the 
sea.  But  sometimes  their  farther  progress  is  not  unimpeded. 
A  second,  and  even  a  third  range,  interposes ;  and  again  and 
again  the  river  must  delve  through  the  rocky  obstacle.  Not 
a  stream  succeeds  in  breaking  through  the  mountains,  which 
separate  Arcadia  on  all  sides  from  the  adjacent  states,  like  a 
continuous  wall,  by  a  uniform  course,  except  on  the  west, 
where  the  rapid  Alpheus  finds  a  nan'ow  passage  through  a 
contracted  gap.  All  the  rest  appear  and  disappear,  as  if  dis- 
daining to  attempt  an  easier  exit  than  that  directly  through 
the  bowels  of  the  earth  itself. 

Such  are  these  katavothra,  of  which  we  met  quite  a  number 
in  our  tour  in  Arcadia.  Naturally  these  holes,  in  time,  be- 
come partially,  if  not  entirely,  choked  with  the  accumulation 
of  sand,  wood,  stone,  and  other  materials.  Then  the  lakes, 
finding  an  insufficient  discharge  for  their  ever-accumulating 
contents,  rise  far  above  their  usual  banks,  and  flood  the  ad- 
joining fields  and  villages.  This  has  occurred  periodically  for 
centuries.     Miuiy  extraordinary  swelhngs  ax'e  mentioned  as 


176  MANTIKEA TKll'OLlTZA SPA  UTA. 

occurring  in  ancient  times,  when,  as  the  country  was  more 
densely  inhabited,  their  devastations  were  still  more  extens- 
ive. Below  the  katavothron  of-  Argos  are  situated  several 
mills,  which  obtain  ample  motive  power  from  the  river,  and 
directly  above  it  is  a  large  and  curious  cave,  stretching  back 
much  farther  than  we  had  time  to  follow  it.  From  the  posi- 
tion it  would  seem  very  likely  to  have  been  the  former  chan- 
nel of  the  stream  below.  The  devotion  of  the  neighboring 
peasants  has  turned  a  corner  of  the  cavern  into  a  diminutive 
church  or  chapel ;  it  was,  however,  locked,  so  that  we  did 
not  succeed  in  viewing  its  internal  arrangements.  Nicholas 
insisted  on  calling  the  cavern  "  the  haunt  of  the  Lernian  hy- 
dra." We  attempted  to  disabuse  him  of  this  topographical 
error  by  reminding  him  of  the  fact  that  Lerne  lay  several 
miles  off,  by  the  water's  edge. 

We  now  tvirned  inland,  and  commenced  a  long  and  tedious 
ascent  in  a  pass  between  the  mountains,  bearing  the  name  of 
Ktenia  and  Roino,  the  former  being  nearly  five  thousand  feet 
in  height.  The  khan  of  Achladocampo  ("Apricot  Valley") 
was  our  resting-place  at  noon.  This  charming  and  retired 
spot  was  the  site  of  the  ancient  town  of  Ili/sio'.  Its  peaceful 
repose  was  once,  at  least,  disturbed  by  the  din  of  battle,  when 
the  inhabitants  of  Argos  contested  the  field  with  the  Spartans, 
and  came  off  victors.  The  fortress  of  the  town  which  was 
the  reluctant  spectator  of  this  conflict  has  left  some  remains 
on  the  brow  of  one  of  the  hills,  but  they  seem  to  be  of  Ro- 
man construction.  An  upper  room  in  the  khan  was  soon 
cleared  for  us,  and  here  we  sat  down  upon  a  carpet  spread 
out  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  to  eat  our  mid-day  meal.  Sev- 
eral women  were  spinning  around  us.  They  used  the  antique 
spindle,  which  is  twirled  by  being  rubbed  against  the  knee, 
and  then  left  to  twist  tlie  thread  with  the  motion  imparted  to 
it.  Occasionally  the  distaff  was  replenished  from  a  large  pile 
of  cotton  in  one  corner.  Meanwhile,  as  we  ate,  we  furnished 
them  a  fruitful  theme  of  conversation,  supposing,  as  they  did, 
that  we  understood  no  more  Greek  than  do  most  travelers 
from  the  west. 

There  awaited  us,  after  leaving  Hysia?,  an  ascent  yet  more 
fatiguing  over  Mount  Parthenius,  which  bounds  the  western 


MOUNTAIN    PASS.  177 

side  of  the  valley  of  Achladocampo.  The  road  was  for  the 
most  part  a  narrow  ledge  or  shelf,  now  cut  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  and  now,  again,  paved  with  stone.  Very  little  pains  are 
usually  taken  to  improve  the  state  of  the  roads  in  these  re- 
gions ;  but  here,  for  the  first  time,  we  met  an  old  man  en- 
gaged in  keeping  the  mountain  path  in  repair.  This  he  did, 
I  presume,  of  his  own  accoi'd,  depending  for  his  support  on 
the  contributions  of  passers-by.  A  collection  of  a  few  leptas 
secured  to  us  his  gratitude,  and,  if  we  might  believe  him,  the 
protection  of  numberless  saints  of  the  calendar,  whose  names 
he  glibly  repeated.  At  length  we  reached  the  top  of  the  hills, 
and  suddenly  obtained  an  extensive  view  of  the  plain  of  Tri- 
politza.  The  town  itself  was  in  full  sight  to  the  west.  And 
now  we  commenced  the  descent.  A  village  on  our  left  fur- 
nished, in  its  \dcinity,  another  example  of  the  passage  of  a 
stream  through  one  of  those  remarkable  katavothra. 

Leaving  our  baggage  to  proceed  directly  to  Tripolitza  un- 
der the  charge  of  the  Arab  cook,  we  turned  off  toward  Man- 
tinea,  some  seven  or  eight  miles  northward.  The  prospect, 
as  we  approached,  was  quite  alpine.  On  all  sides  Ave  were 
shut  in  by  mountains,  of  which  Mount  Khelmos  stood  out 
prominently  in  front,  its  snow-capped  head  with  double  its 
usual  covering  at  present.  The  hills  on  either  side  approach 
at  one  spot,  fornaing  a  separation  between  the  parts  of  the 
plain.  Our  road  led  us  along  the  right  side  of  the  valley, 
passing  through  a  hamlet,  where  a  troop  of  barking  dogs  came 
out  to  greet  us.  This  is  the  invariable  indication  of  approach 
to  a  village  in  the  Morea,  and  it  is  an  occurrence  quite  too 
uniform  to  be  pleasant.  Fortunately  the  courage  of  the  curs 
was  not  equal  to  their  zeal,  and  a  few  well-directed  stones 
rarely  failed  to  disperse  the  entire  pack.  We  were  not  a  lit- 
tle amused  at  the  stratagem  of  one  of  our  agoyates,  who  was 
accustomed  to  aim,  first,  a  projectile,  at  which  the  dogs  flew 
in  a  rage,  affording  him  a  good  mark  for  his  second  missile. 
Not  far  from  this  village  a  peasant  came  running  up,  wishing 
to  show  and  sell  us  a  small  coin  he  had  found  in  ploughing. 
But  his  coin  was  too  much  defaced,  and  his  price  was  too  ex- 
orbitant, so  that  he  failed  to  obtain  a  purchaser. 

We  reached  the  site  of  Mantinea,  standing  in  the  centre  of 
H2 


178  MANTINEA TRIPOLITZA SPARTA. 

this  part  of  the  Vcolley,  in  the  midst  of  a  marsh  produced  by  a 
small  creek,  which  shortly  after  buries  itself,  like  its  neigh- 
bors, in  a  katavothron  near  by.  The  ancient  wall  is  the  prin- 
cipal, or,  indeed,  the  only  object  of  interest  beyond  the  mere 
position  and  natural  features  of  this  city,  one  of  the  most  11- 
lusti'ious  of  Peloponnesus.  This  wall,  it  is  true,  rises  at  no 
place  above  three  tiers  of  symmetrical  courses  of  masonry; 
but  the  entire  circuit  of  the  fortifications  is  preserved.  At 
regular  intervals  of  sixty  or  eighty  feet  there  are  square  tow- 
ers projecting  from  the  line  of  the  wall,  and  numbering,  it  is 
?aid,  near  one  hundred  and  twenty.  The  old  moat  is  still 
filled  with  water,  and  we  were  compelled  to  ride  around  a 
great  part  of  the  wall  before  finding  a  spot  which  the  horses 
could  ford.  Within  the  inclosure  were  some  remains  of  a 
theatre,  only  its  general  outline  and  some  scattered  stones  at 
its  base  being  distinguishable.  The  most  peculiar  circum- 
stance respecting  Mantinea  was  its  situation ;  for,  unlike  most 
Grecian  towns,  it  possessed  no  acropolis  or  fortress.  The 
lowness  of  its  position  suggested  to  the  Spartan,  Agesipolis, 
who  in  B.C.  385  laid  siege  to  this  city,  a  clever  device  for 
reducing  it  to  terms.  The  walls  at  that  time,  it  appears, 
were  built  of  sun-dried  bricks.  By  stopping  the  course  of 
the  stream,  Agesipolis  succeeded  in  inundating  the  vicinity 
of  the  walls,  which  soon  began  to  crumble  and  fall.  The  in- 
habitants at  once  gave  up  the  attempt  to  maintain  themselves, 
and  capitulated. 

Perhaps  no  locality  in  the  world  can  boast  of  an  equal 
number  of  battles  fought  upon  its  soil.  Besides  several  mi- 
nor engagements,  three  great  conflicts  have  been  here  de- 
scribed by  three  of  the  greatest  Greek  historians — Thucy- 
dides,  Xenophon,  and  Polybius.  In  the  first,  fought  B.C. 
418,  the  Mantineans  and  their  allies  were  routed,  in  a  most 
decisive  action,  by  the  Spartans  under  Agis.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  success,  however,  the  place  was  of  ill  omen  for  the 
Lacedaemonian  ai-ms.  In  the  second  of  these  great  contests 
the  Thebans,  under  Epaminondas,  in  the  year  B.C.  362,  met 
and  put  to  flight  the  Spartan  army  at  the  expense  of  their 
gallant  commander's  life.  Carried  almost  lifeless  to  one  of 
the  adjoining  eminences  (the  spur  of  the  mountain  which  sep- 


THE  batti.es  at  mantixea.  179 

arates  the  valleys  of  Mantinea  and  Tripolitza),  he  beheld  from 
thence  the  complete  discomfiture  of  his  enemies.  Contented, 
he  withdrew  the  hand  with  which  he  had  closed  the  bleeding 
wound,  and  died  in  the  full  height  of  his  glory.  The  third 
battle  was  fought  between  the  Spartans  and  the  Achaeans  un- 
der the  generalship  of  Philopoemen,  the  "last  of  the  Greeks," 
B.C.  207.  It  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  former,  and  the 
death  of  their  king.  This  was  one  of  the  last  and  most 
deadly  blows  struck  at  the  supremacy  of  Sparta. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  a  student  of  history  should  gaze  with 
peculiar  interest  upon  a  field  on  which  the  destinies  of  states 
have  been  decided  again  and  again,  and  whose  soil  has  been 
stained  with  blood  shed  in  civil  wars.  The  plain  is  indeed  one 
most  suitable  for  such  contests.  Its  fertility,  so  far  superior 
to  that  of  most  of  the  neighboring  valleys,  gave  to  Mantinea 
its  high  rank  among  the  independent  cities  in  Arcadia.  Yet 
nothing,  it  seemed  to  me,  could  better  illustrate  the  diminu- 
tive size  of  these  states,  so  famous  in  ancient  story,  than  the 
mere  circumstance  that  Tegea  and  Mantinea,  those  determ- 
ined and  implacable  rivals,  were  separated  fi-om  each  other 
by  an  interval  of  only  ten  or  twelve  miles,  which  a  horseman 
might  easily  traverse  in  little  more  than  an  hour.  Had  rail- 
roads been  in  use,  the  troops  of  one  city  might  have  been 
brought  to  the  walls  of  the  other  in  a  quarter  of  that  time. 
In  view  of  the  improvements  of  modem  tactics,  and  especially 
the  inventions  of  modern  art,  the  misery  arising  from  long-con- 
tinued hostilities,  or  from  their  frequent  recurrence,  must  neces- 
sarily come  to  an  end.  If  the  implements  of  warfare  are  more 
deadly,  the  aggregate  of  happiness  is  much  greater  than  when 
the  peaceful  pursuits  of  industry  and  agriculture  were  contin- 
ually disturbed  by  hostile  inroads.  Then  the  husbandman, 
who  ventured  out  of  sight  of  his  native  walls,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  predatory  parties  of  the  enemy.  Battles,  ordi- 
narily resulting  in  the  loss  of  but  a  few  citizens  on  either 
side,  were  frequently  the  means,  not  so  much  of  terminating 
the  conflict  as  of  engendering  yet  deeper  hostility  in  the  minds 
of  the  people  who  had  been  injured,  but  who  had  not  lost  the 
hope  of  retaliation.  Such  are  the  reflections  that  can  not  but 
force  themselves  a  hundred  times  upon  even  the  most  enthu«i- 


180  MANTINEA TRIPOLITZA SPARTA. 

astic  lover  of  antiquity,  whether  he  may  read  the  history  of 
Greece,  or  whether,  like  myself,  he  may  have  the  good  fortune 
to  tread  its  classic  soil. 

The  night  overtook  us  on  our  Avay  toward  Tripolitza. 
Upon  arriving,  we  found  the  town  crowded  with  people  from 
various  neighboring  villages,  who  had  assembled  to  attend  a 
fair  on  the  morrow.  They  were  collected  in  companies  at 
the  khans  and  drinking-shops,  making  merry  with  wine  and 
music.  Long  after  retiring  for  the  night  we  heard  their  pro- 
tracted carousals.  The  pancgyris,  as  these  periodical  assem- 
blages of  people  are  styled,  are  occasions  of  great  enjoyment 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  neighborhood.  To  them 
the  blind  bards,  who  occupy  the  place  of  the  ancient  rhapso- 
dists,  flock  in  considerable  numbers.  In  a  hospitable  khan, 
or  in  the  open  street,  a  crowd  hangs  on  the  minstrel's  lips ; 
while  he  chants  the  heroic  lay  of  some  famous  kleft,  or  re- 
counts the  actions  of  the  no  less  courageous  citizens  of  Souli, 
who  ofttimes,  from  their  mountain  fastness,  repulsed  the 
Pasha's  troops.  Then,  again,  a  more  lively  theme  excites  to 
the  dance,  accompanied  by  the  inharmonious  notes  of  a  rude 
guitar.  These  simple  ballads,  constituting  at  once  the  most 
correct  history  of  a  nation's  feelings,  and  the  most  entertain- 
ing and  popular  portion  of  its  literature,  are  but  short-lived 
at  best.  Few  of  them  reach  the  ears  of  the  educated ;  fewer 
still  are  ever  committed  to  paper ;  and  a  score  of  years  is 
often  sufficient  to  obliterate  the  memory  of  those  which  have 
been  most  in  vogue.  A  second  generation  of  composers  brings 
forth  an  entirely  new  series  of  poems  on  original  topics. 

Tripolitza  contains  little  or  nothing  suited  to  interest  a 
stranger.  It  is  an  overgroAvn  village  rather  than  a  town. 
Standing  on  the  site  of  an  ancient  Arcadian  city,  Pallantium, 
it  is  entirely  destitute  of  any  classical  remains.  Yet  Tripo- 
litza has  played  a  most  important  part  in  the  recent  history 
of  Greece.  Even  before  the  Revolution,  its  central  situation 
in  Peloponnesus,  and  the  extraordinary  salubrity  and  fertility 
of  its  environs,  had  induced  the  Pashas  to  make  it  the  polit- 
ical capital  of  the  province.  It  Avas  said  (but  this,  in  all  prob- 
ability, was  an  overstatement)  to  contain  at  that  time  a  pop- 
ulation of  twentv  thousand  souls.     In  1821,  when  the  "rav- 


A    SCENE    OK    (JARNAOE.  181 

ahs,"  after  their  lethargic  submission  of  more  than  tliree  cen- 
turies, had  suddenly,  by  a  single  exertion  of  their  unsuspected 
strength,  broken  asunder  the  slender  cords  with  which  the 
Sultan  attempted  to  confine  their  vigorous  limbs,  the  Turks 
fled  in  dismay  to  the  open  gates  of  Tripolitza.  This  city  of- 
fered but  a  precarious  defence.  After  a  few  months  of  negli- 
gent blockade,  and  one  day  of  unremitted  carnage,  it  fell  a 
ready  prey  to  an  inferior  Greek  force.  The  streets  swam 
with  blood,  and  packs  of  half-famished  dogs  reveled  upon  the 
thirty  thousand  carcasses  that  choked  the  highways.  The 
conquered  were  not  spared  by  the  sword ;  and  few,  besides 
the  commandant,  escaped  by  an  appeal  to  the  avarice  of  their 
captors.* 

The  scene  was  reversed  in  1825,  when  Ibrahim  Pasha  in- 
vaded Greece  with  his  Egyptian  forces,  and  poured  upon  the 
wretched  city  the  retribution  to  which  he  had  long  doomed  it. 
The  miserable  inhabitants  who  escaped  sought  refuge  in  the 
mountains,  where  many  perished  of  hunger.  The  rest  for 
tln-ee  long  years  from  their  haunts  could  espy  the  enemy  in 
possession  of  their  ancient  homes.  At  length  the  treaty  of 
pacification  between  Greece  and  Turkey  put  an  end  to  their 
exile.  The  inhabitants  once  more  gained  possession  of  their 
deserted  homes ;  but  the  wounds  Avhich  a  resolute  enemy  can 
inflict  in  a  few  days  or  weeks  require  assiduous  treatment  for 
years.  The  town  of  Tripolitza  can  scarcely  yet  be  termed 
convalescent. 

Our  pack-horses  were  sent  on  by  the  direct  road  to  Sparta, 
while  we  turned  to  the  east,  and  crossed  the  Mantinean  plain 
toward  the  ruins  of  Tegea,  or,  to  speak  more  properly,  toward 
its  site.  This  place,  like  several  others  in  the  country,  bears 
the  name  of  Paleo  Episcopi,  from  the  only  edifice  in  the  vicin- 
ity, an  old  diocesan  church.  It  appears  to  have  been  built  in 
the  early  ages  of  Christianity,  when  the  architects  found  an 
abundance  of  materials  in  the  now  forsaken  temples  of  their 
heathen  ancestors.  Every  thing  from  this  convenient  quarry 
came  in  good  stead.     A  Corinthian  pillar  or  a  Doric  column 

*  This  scene  is  described,  with  all  its  details  of  horror,  in  the  account 
of  an  eye-witness  contained  in  Aldenhoven's  ItiMraire  de  VAttique  et  du 
Pcloponnexe  (Athhies,  1841),  p.  271-4. 


182  MANTINE  A TRIPOLITZ  A SPARTA . 

were  equally  acceptable.  Whether  plain  or  fluted,  they  were 
placed  side  by  side.  Bas-reliefs  representing  pagan  subjects 
were  embedded  in  the  walls  on  the  outside,  or,  laid  upon  the 
ground  with  their  faces  downward,  formed  a  cheap  and  ex- 
cellent floor.  At  Tegea  the  most  important  remains  are  some 
fragmentary  inscriptions.  Such  are  the  few  traces  of  a  city, 
perhaps  the  most  powerful  in  Arcadia,  whose  gallant  waiTiors 
for  six  or  seven  generations  withstood  the  famous  troops  of 
their  neighboring  and  encroaching  rivals,  the  Spartans.  One 
of  the  expeditions  of  these  restless  enemies  (about  580  B.C.) 
ended  very  disastrously  for  the  invaders.  The  proud  warriors 
who  had  so  lately  issued  from  their  native  city,  flushed  with 
the  confident  expectation  of  reducing  the  Tegeatans  to  peace 
and  slavery,  fell  into  the  hands  of  those  whom  they  had  hoped 
to  wrong.  The  Spartan,  stripped  of  his  burnished  armor,  was 
loaded  with  the  very  chains  he  had  brought  wdth  him  to  fetter 
the  enemy,  and  condemned,  as  a  slave,  to  till  for  others  the 
lands  which  he  had  too  rashly  expected  to  enjoy.  The  su- 
perstition of  the  age  attributed  this  wonderful  success  to  the 
possession  of  the  bones  of  the  ancient  hero,  Orestes,  and  sub- 
sequent reverses  were  ascribed  to  the  loss  of  that  palladium 
of  Tegean  liberties. 

After  satisfying  our  curiosity  with  all  that  was  to  be  seen, 
or  imagined  to  exist  on  the  spot,  we  found  a  narrow  road 
that  was  to  lead  us  to  the  more  direct  route  from  Tripolitza 
to  Sparta,  which  our  baggage  had  taken.  In  a  field  on  our 
right  we  observed  a  counirj  papas,  or  priest,  engaged  in  hus- 
bandry with  some  half  a  dozen  men  and  boys  of  his  spiritual 
flock.  He  had  probably  induced  them  to  work  for  him  by 
offering  them  a  more  tangible  recompense  than  masses  or  ab- 
solution ;  for  the  Gi'eek  priesthood  do  not  possess  that  almost 
unlimited  influence  which  the  Italian  curate  exercises  over  his 
ignorant  and  devout  parishioners.  They  are  usually  attached 
to  the  people  by  the  ties  of  fellow-feeling  and  intermarriage, 
and  no  despotism  compels  the  unwilling  service  of  the  peas- 
antry. The  vicinity  abounded  with  plantations  of  the  staphis, 
or  currant,  as  yet  scarce  in  leaf;  and  the  wheat-fields  were 
full  a  month  behind  those  of  Attica.  "We  shortly  entered 
the  ravine  of  the  Sarandopotamos,  a  torrent  which  our  guide 


BATTLE-FIELD    OF    SELLA  ST  A,  183 

averred  was  so  called  from  the  forty  times  the  road  crosses  it. 
In  this  wild  district  there  were  no  bridges,  and  the  horses 
were  obliged  every  few  minutes  to  wade  through  some  branch, 
or  the  main  stream  itself.  Hence  a  certain  degree  of  judg- 
ment is  necessary  to  select  the  most  shallow  parts  of  the 
stream ;  for  the  track  is  often  quite  undistinguishable  on  the 
gi'avelly  banks  of  the  creek.  The  whole  ride  was  desolate,  and 
rarely  picturesque.  The  only  living  beings  we  met  during  the 
course  of  the  day  were  a  few  agoyates,  with  their  heavy-laden 
beasts,  who  carry  on  almost  the  whole  internal  trade  of  the 
countiy  as  far  as  there  exists  any  trade  at  all.  We  lunched 
at  noon,  and  rested  our  horses  a  while  near  a  cool  spring ; 
then  commenced  a  long,  fatiguing,  and  unmtcresting  ascent 
of  the  mountainous  country  that  divides  Arcadia  on  the  south 
from  Laconia.  Not  only  was  the  soil  exceedingly  barren  and 
stony,  but,  from  its  height  above  the  sea,  the  season  was  very 
backward.  The  oaks,  of  which  there  was  a  great  abundance, 
had  not  yet  put  forth  a  single  leaf 

As  we  began  the  descent  into  the  valley  of  the  Eurotas, 
our  guide  pointed  out  to  us  on  the  left,  at  some  distance  be- 
low, the  small  valley  supposed  to  be  that  of  Sellasia,  in  or 
near  which  was  fought,  B.C.  222,  a  battle,  where  the  power 
of  Sparta  received  a  mortal  wound.  The  united  armies  of 
the  Macedonian,  Antigonus  Doson,  and  of  Aratus,  head  of 
the  Achaean  league,  defeated  the  Spartan  king,  Cleomenes, 
at  this  outpost  of  Laconia ;  and  the  ancient  city  of  Leonidas 
and  Pausanias  never  recovered  its  former  influence.  Wish- 
ing to  ascertain  how  much  my  friend  Nicholas  knew  of  the 
historical  incidents  of  the  battle,  I  asked  him  to  give  me  the 
best  account  of  it  he  could.  He  confessed  himself  quite  in 
the  dark  as  to  the  matter,  but  thought  that  one  of  the  war- 
riors who  distinguished  himself  in  the  engagement  was  that 
famous  old  hero  Agamemnon,  whose  tomb  we  had  entered  a 
few  days  before  at  Mycena3.  On  the  whole,  the  tourist  in 
either  Greece  or  Italy  may  rely  quite  as  much  on  the  readi- 
ness of  his  guide's  invention  as  on  his  historical  accuracy. 

The  day  was  fast  hastening  to  its  close  when  we  reached 
the  crest  of  the  hills,  whence  the  valley  of  Sparta  suddenly 
bursts  on  the  eye  with  its  broad  expanse  of  green  fields  and 


184 


MANTINEA TRIPOLITZ  A SPARTA . 


VIEW    OP   MOUNT   TAYGETUS   FKOM   THE   SITE   OF 


pastures,  relieved  by  the  rugged,  snow-capped  cliffs  of  Mount 
Taygetus.  We  halted  at  the  khan  of  Vourlia,  intending  to 
spend  the  night ;  for  the  few  hours  of  light  would  not  allow 
us  time  to  descend  into  the  lower  country.  Before  dismount- 
ing, however,  we  found  that  a  detachment  of  soldiers  had 
taken  possession  of  our  quarters,  having  been  sent  here  to 
watch  for  robbers,  who  always  appear  first  along  the  difficult 
passes  of  the  mountains.  Making  a  virtue  of  necessity,  we 
pursued  our  way  farther  to  the  village  itself,  and  soon  fixed 
on  one  of  the  most  respectable  houses  of  the  place  as  our 
lodging.  As  usual,  Nicholas  overcame  any  reluctance  of  the 
inmates  by  the  promise  of  a  small  gi'atuity  on  the  moiTow. 
But  the  necessary  arrangements  of  the  landlord  and  the  un- 
packing of  the  baggage  occupied  considerable  time,  and  allow- 
ed us  to  disperse  through  the  village,  and  sit  down  a  while  to 
enjoy  the  extensive  and  delightful  prospect.  The  old  town  of 
Mistra  appeared  in  the  distance,  on  the  sides  and  top  of  a  steep 
hill  that  seemed  close  upon  Mount  Taygetus.  Thither  it  was 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Sparta  betook  themselves,  leaving  their 
ancient  home  to  fall  into  ruin  and  desolation.  But  within 
some  years  a  new  town  has  risen  on  the  old  site,  and  threat- 
ens to  eclipse  its  neighbor.  The  government  has  made  new 
Sparta  the  capital  of  one  of  the  nomes  of  the  kingdom :  and 


A    POKTABLE    CKADLK.  185 

a  uumber  of  white  houses  might  be  discerned  somewhat  to 
the  left  of  Misti-a,  marking  the  new  settlement.  The  aspect 
of  the  Vourliote  women  alForded  us  some  amusement.  Tlieir 
dress  was  not  veiy  different  from  that  Avhich  prevails  in  some 
other  localities  we  had  passed  through;  but  they  are  accus- 
tomed to  carry  their  infants  in  a  sort  of  cradle  upon  their 
backs.  The  construction  is  very  simple.  A  square  piece  of 
cloth,  very  thick  and  stiff,  is  supported  by  thongs  inserted  in 
the  four  corners,  and  these  are  made  fast  around  the  nurse's 
shoulders,  much  after  the  manner  of  a  knapsack.  In  the 
trough  thus  formed  the  baby  is  laid,  and  the  wonder  is  why  it 
does  not  slip  out.  "Whether  such  accidents  are  expected  to 
occur  from  time  to  time,  I  was  not  informed.  The  mother, 
thus  fi-eed  from  all  solicitude  for  her  infant  charge,  moves 
about  the  house  with  activity,  and  engages  with  ease  in  her 
various  occupations. 

Our  host  proved  to  be  a  physician.  A  number  of  his  med- 
ical books  were  lying  about,  being  a  nearer  approach  to  a  li- 
brary than  Ave  had  met  with  since  leaving  Athens.  Our  quar- 
ters, though  of  limited  extent,  were  good.  As  for  the  agoyates, 
they  generally  slept  wherever  they  could  find  a  convenient 
spot.  If  the  night  was  cool  and  the  region  elevated,  they  re- 
treated within  doors,  and  formed  a  ring  around  the  hearth. 
But  if,  as  to-night  at  Yourlia,  the  cold  was  not  too  severe, 
they  preferred  wrapping  their  shaggy  capotes  about  them  and 
lying  down  on  the  porch  in  the  open  air.  No  wonder  that 
they  do  not  catch  cold,  for  their  covering  is  intolerably  thick, 
and  no  part  of  the  face  appears  from  beneath  it.  I  have  fre- 
quently stumbled  over  them  unwittingly  of  an  evening.  Their 
horses,  if  they  find  no  better  place,  ai'e  tied  to  some  neighbor- 
ing tree. 

Before  leaving  Vourlia,  we  held  a  consultation  as  to  our  fu- 
ture course.  AYe  had  intended,  after  visiting  Sparta,  to  cross 
Taygetus  to  Calamas;  but  the  mountain  pass,  we  were  as- 
sured, was  at  this  season  impracticable  for  our  horses,  though 
mules  could  take  us  over  it.  We  should,  therefore,  be  com- 
pelled to  wait  a  day  at  Calamas,  while  the  horses  made  a  two 
days'  circuit  of  the  mountain.  It  was  decided,  accordingly, 
to  forego  this  part  of  our  tour,  and  turn  northward  instead, 


180  MANTTNEA ^TRIPOLITZA SPARTA. 

to  see  the  ruins  of  Megalopolis,  which  had  not  entered  into  our 
original  plan.  The  baggage  at  an  early  hour  was  sent  off 
directly  across  the  head  of  the  valley  of  the  Eurotas,  to  the 
small  hamlet  of  Georgitzi,  where  it  arrived  within  a  few 
hours.  The  ride  from  Vourlia  to  Sparta  occupied  us  little 
more  than  three  hours.  We  first  descended  through  the  deep 
gorges  of  the  mountains ;  but  presently  reached  the  large  and 
clear  stream  Eurotas,  coming  from  the  northwest.  At  length 
we  arrived  at  Sparta,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river.  The 
northern  part  of  the  site  is  undulating,  and  the  rest,  where 
stands  the  modern  town,  quite  level.  On  the  opposite  bank 
the  ground  rises  in  high,  reddish  hills,  supposed  to  be  the 
Menelajum.  The  view  from  this  spot  toward  the  west  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  that  can  be  imagined,  where  Taygetus 
rises  against  the  dark-blue  sky.  Below,  five  hills,  less  ele- 
vated, stand  in  a  line,  and  receive,  from  their  particular  form  , 
and  number,  the  collective  designation  of  "  Pentedactylon," 
or  "  the  five  fingers." 

Few  cities  awaken  at  the  very  mention  of  their  names  so 
much  interest  as  Sparta :  a  state  whose  predominance  over 
its  neighbors  was  secured  by  the  courage  of  its  well-disciplined 
and  patriotic  soldiers ;  whose  gallant  citizens  were  ever  prompt 
to  pour  out  their  life's  blood  in  defence  of  their  country  and 
their  ancestral  institutions ;  whose  kings  were  not  above  la- 
bor for  the  common  weal ;  whose  chivalrous  youth  were  a 
sufficient  protection  for  their  unfortified  capital ;  whose  wo- 
men could  boast  that  they  had  never  descried  the  smoke  of  an 
enemy's  camp-fires  on  the  adjoining  plain !  Such  a  state 
must  elicit  the  enthusiasm  of  mankind,  so  long  as  there  exists 
a  spark  of  the  old  martial  spirit.  It  is  natural,  then,  to  feel 
disappointment  when,  after  a  pilgrimage  of  some  days,  the 
traveler  finds  little  to  mark  the  site  of  so  important  a  city, 
and  nothing  to  illustrate  former  greatness.  We  discovered  a 
theatre  of  large  size  by  the  banks  of  the  Eurotas ;  but,  as  in 
the  case  of  similar  remains  elsewhere,  it  was  only  the  general 
contour  of  the  interior,  and  the  walls  supporting  the  base,  that 
were  visible.  As  for  the  seats  of  the  spectators,  they  had 
long  since  disappeared,  many  of  them  incorporated  in  some 
modern  building,  and  others  burned  into  lime.     The  whole 


SITE    OF    ANCIENT    SPAKTA.  187 

cavea  was  sown  with  wheat,  in  the  midst  of  which,  here  and 
there,  jutted  forth  some  fragment  of  ancient  statuaiy  or  de- 
faced marhle.  We  sat  down  to  look  about  us,  and  identify, 
as  far  as  might  be,  the  various  ruins  laid  down  on  the  charts 
of  preceding  travelers.  These  were  numerous  enough,  and  of 
all  kinds,  but  principally  of  Roman  structure,  mingled  with 
those  of  the  Middle  Ages.  Every  where  were  to  be  seen 
great  walls,  many  of  them  composed  of  ancient  fragments  im- 
bedded among  more  recent  materials.  In  one  a  row  or  two 
of  the  drums  of  columns  supplied  the  place  of  some  courses  of 
masonry.  I  wandered  over  the  hillocks  and  down  to  the  riv- 
er's edge-  Along  the  bank  stretches  a  level  piece  of  ground, 
which,  from  the  direction  of  the  hills,  takes  very  much  the 
shape  of  a  stadium  or  dromos  of  large  size.  It  was  here,  prob- 
ably, that  the  Spartan  youth  of  yore  were  accustomed  to  prac- 
tice all  the  exercises  useful  for  a  warlike  education,  and  to  en- 
gage in  trials  of  speed. 

On  the  whole,  save  a  multitude  of  tottering  walls,  there  is 
comparatively  little  of  interest  to  distinguish  the  site  of  this 
famous  city.  These  vestiges  date  only  from  the  Roman  pe- 
riod, when  the  glory  of  her  ancient  renown  had  forever  de- 
parted from  Sparta.  It  may  be  confidently  asserted  that  lit- 
tle or  nothing  exists  to  remind  one  of  the  city  of  Pausanias 
and  Leonidas.  Of  city  walls  there  are  none,  the  laws  of  Ly- 
curgus  having  prohibited  their  erection.  Of  decorated  build- 
ings there  are  none,  the  Dorians  ha\nng  been  early  taught  to 
repudiate  all  love  of  the  beautiful,  with  whatever  tends  to  pol- 
ish and  refine,  and  reckon  every  thing  useless  that  did  not  per- 
tain to  the  science  of  warfare.  Their  oligarchy,  as  a  contem- 
porary essayist  has  well  remarked,  was  a  perpetual  ostracism 
of  all  merit  that  was  not  military.  It  never  permitted  the  full 
and  healtliful  development  of  the  arts,  the  pursuit  of  war  be- 
ing esteemed  the  only  honorable  employment  for  a  freeman. 

Our  guide,  Nicholas,  had  an  acquaintance  in  the  modern 
village,  and  led  us  to  his  neat  white  house,  where  we  lunched 
and  spent  an  hour  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  The  weather 
was  already  very  warm  upon  the  plains,  and  it  became  not 
only  unpleasant,  but  even  perilous,  to  expose  ourselves  to  the 
noonday  sun.     I  bore  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  Pic- 


1 88  MANTINEA TRIPOI.ITZ  A SPARTA . 

raches,  the  representative  of  this  district,  and  a  member  of  the 
extremely  powerful  Maniote  family,  Mavromichales,  to  a  gen- 
tleman of  the  place ;  but  as  he  was  out,  I  failed  to  see  him. 
Modern  Sparta  has  been  founded  since  the  Revolution,  and 
already,  according  to  mine  host,  outnumbers  its  more  ancient 
rival,  Mistra.  He  gives  to  the  former  fifteen  hundred,  and  to 
the  latter  only  one  thousand  inhabitants.  The  central  gov- 
ernment, which  has  sought  to  rebuild  all  the  more  famous 
cities  of  Greece,  as  if  their  ancient  renown  could  be  restored 
by  the  mere  erection  of  modern  dwellings  on  the  site,  has  de- 
termined that  Sparta  shall  be  symmetrically  laid  out,  and  has 
provided  a  public  square  for  the  promotion  of  the  recreation 
of  the  inhabitants.  Our  host  was  an  intelligent  native  of  Pa- 
tras,  and  Nicholas  counted  him  a  relation,  as  he  had  stood 
godfather  to  one  of  his  children.  The  connection  thus  formed, 
he  assured  me,  is  as  close  as  the  relation  of  parent  and  off- 
spring, and  more  saci'ed.  The  latter  is  only  natural,  while 
the  other  is  holy  and  perpetual.  It  is  a  well-known  fact,  to 
which  I  have  before  alluded,  that  marriage  between  those  who 
ai'e  bound  to  each  other  by  such  ties  is  forbidden  by  the  canons 
of  the  "  Orthodox"  Church,  as  much  as  those  coming  within 
the  interdicted  degrees  of  consanguinity. 

From  Sparta  we  again  bent  our  steps  northward.  Jilst 
outside  the  village  we  passed  the  so-called  "  Tomb  of  Leoni- 
das,"  which  seems  to  have  been  nothing  more  than  a  plat- 
form and  a  single  course  of  stone  belonging  to  a  temple  or 
other  ancient  edifice.  The  stones  composing  it  measure,  some 
of  them,  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  in  length.  Farther  on,  a 
small  boy  told  us  that  a  sarcophagus  had  within  a  fortnight 
been  discovered  in  the  vicinity,  and  led  us  to  it.  The  upper 
part  of  the  front,  which  alone  had  been  exposed  to  view  by 
the  removal  of  the  eai'th,  sufficiently  exhibited  the  excellent 
preservation  of  the  whole.  It  was  some  ten  feet  long,  adorn- 
ed at  the  ends  and  in  the  middle  with  figures  of  bulls'  heads, 
having  crossed  horns  intertwined  with  curls  and  pine  cones. 
The  spaces  between  were  occupied  by  two  large  rosettes. 
According  to  our  informant,  the  owner  of  the  vineyard  where 
this  sarcophagus  was  found,  wished  to  incorporate  the  vener- 
able relic  in  a   new  house  which  he  was  building.     Fortu- 


ESTEKIOK    OF    A    COTIAGK.  189 

n«tely,  the  law  provides  that  several  weeks  shall  elapse  before 
any  person  shall  so  appropriate  a  discoveiy  of  the  kind,  in  or- 
der that  the  superintendent  of  antiquities  may  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  saving  it  from  destruction  if  he  deem  it  worthy  of 
preservation. 

Oui-  road  to  Georgitzi  wound  along  the  banks  of  the  Eu- 
rotas.  Soon  we  left  the  plam  of  Sparta,  entering  a  valley 
more  narrow,  and  well  covered  with  an  undergrowth  of  small 
trees  and  shrubs.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  there  ran 
along  the  water's  edge  several  tiers  of  hewn  stone,  foi'ming  a 
sort  of  wall  or  wharfs — the  only  vestiges  of  Pellana.  We 
passed  through  several  plantations  of  thriving  mulberry-trees 
set  out  m  the  midst  of  fields. 

Jauni,  or  Merdzianni,  our  Arab  cook,  following  out  the  in- 
structions he  had  received,  had,  as  we  found,  established  him- 
self with  our  effects  in  the  best  cottage  he  could  procure  in  the 
village  of  Georgitzi,  and  was  busily  engaged  in  preparations 
for  our  evening  meal.  Let  me  describe  the  house  and  its  in- 
mates. They  will  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  average  dwellings 
and  the  lower  class  of  the  population  of  Greece. 

The  whole  building,  about  thirty  feet  long  and  twelve  or 
fifteen  wide,  was  formed  of  rough  stone,  except  the  roof,  con- 
structed of  boai'ds,  upon  which  the  tiles  reposed.  A  single 
room  composed  the  interior.  On  the  right  of  the  door  there 
had  been  built  a  square  platform  of  boards,  raised  three  or 
four  feet  above  the  clay  floor,  and  attainable  by  means  of  a 
small  rickety  ladder.  Upon  this  our  beds  had  been  spread 
out ;  and  here  we  ate  off  the  portable  table  that  accompanied 
us  every  where.  Meanwhile  the  culinary  operations  might  be 
watched  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  where  a  fire  had  been 
kindled  on  the  large  stone  hearth.  The  smoke  found  its  way 
out,  partly  through  the  interstices  of  the  tiles,  partly  through 
the  paneless  windows  and  the  door.  Around  the  cook  were 
grouped  a  goodly  number  of  Greeks,  men  and  women,  eating 
and  drinking,  and  making  a  very  babel  of  the  place  as  they 
waxed  joyous  over  their  wine.  From  time  to  time,  a  crowd 
of  children,  and  grown  people  too,  might  be  obsen-ed  peering 
through  the  door,  or  even  intruding  into  our  small  apartment, 
in  order  to  have  a  look  at  the  "Frank  milords."     Ever  and 


190  MANTINEA TKIPOLITZA SPAKTA. 

anon  Nicholas,  by  dint  of  threat  or  entreaty,  would  clear 
them  from  the  door;  but  they  speedily  resumed  their  posts 
of  observation,  with  such  perfect  nonchalance  and  good  hu- 
mor, that  we  were  fain  to  permit  the  gratification  of  their  cu- 
riosity. 

Around  the  room,  as  usual,  were  to  be  seen  some  of  the 
products  of  the  neighborhood.  Often  there  will  be  a  large 
heap  of  cotton,  whose  picking  provides  ample  employment  for 
the  women  during  the  winter  months.  In  autumn  one  corner 
is  filled  with  golden  ears  of  Indian  com.  Over  our  heads 
were  hanging  from  the  rafters  a  number  of  wide  and  shallow 
wicker  baskets,  in  which  the  silkworms  were  feeding.  Al- 
ready a  chiysalis  or  two  might  be  seen  suspended  by  its  del- 
icate constructor  from  the  lower  sides  of  the  tiles  of  the  roof, 
through  the  intervals  of  which,  when  night  fell,  the  moon- 
beams gleamed  in  upon  us. 

On  the  whole,  I  must  say,  the  cottages  of  the  Greek  peas- 
antry are  remarkably  wanting  in  the  air  of  comfort  which  a 
few  slight  improvements  might  readily  impart.  No  neat  gar- 
den, with  its  wall-flowers  garnishing  the  border,  and  the  wood- 
bine or  honeysuckle  climbmg  over  a  rustic  porch,  is  to  be  seen, 
as  in  England,  before  the  door  of  the  most  humble  laborer. 
Few  domestic  animals  are  kept,  except  fierce  watch-dogs  for 
protection,  who  gi^eet  the  traveler  in  packs  as  often  as  he  has 
occasion  to  enter  a  village.  Even  to  the  rearing  of  the  hon- 
ey-bee, for  which  the  country  is  admirably  adapted,  the  peo- 
ple of  Peloponnesus  pay  comparatively  little  attention ;  and 
a  neat  row  of  hives  is  rarely  met  with  in  that  district.  The 
few  that  you  will  find  are  made  of  osier  baskets,  merely  plas- 
tered over  with  mud  or  clay  and  dried  in  the  sun ;  and  per- 
haps they  answer  the  purpose  well  enough.  This  is  one  of 
not  a  few  instances  in  which  contrivances  of  a  manufacture 
as  simple  as  that  of  Homeric  times  arc  still  commonly 
employed.  Small,  too,  are  the  substantial  comforts  with 
which  the  laboring  man's  home  is  provided.  Of  furniture 
there  is  little  except  the  mere  utensils  indispensable  for  cook- 
ing; and  as  the  diet  of  the  poor  is  simple  and  light,  their 
number  is  restricted  within  a  narrow  compass.  The  articles 
we  esteem  as  almost  necessary  to  existence  are  wanting.    Such 


COTTAGE   FURNITURE.  191 

a  thing  as  a  bedstead  can  not,  I  presume,  be  met  with  in  a  peas- 
ant's house  from  one  end  of  Greece  to  the  other.  The  poor 
consider  themselves  very  fortunate  if  they  can  purchase  some 
matting  on  which  to  lie.  The  greater  part,  so  far  as  I  know, 
are  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  the  great  shaggy  coats, 
or  capotas,  in  which  they  wrap  themselves,  and  suffer  little 
from  the  dampness  of  the  bare  ground.  At  the  same  time, 
the  want  of  cleanliness  pervading  the  houses  makes  them  an 
object  of  disgust  to  every  person  who  has  not  become  accus- 
tomed to  the  sight. 


THE  GKEAT  GATE  OF  MESBENE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


MEGALOPOLIS  AND  MESSENE. 

Before  leaving  the  retired  hamlet  of  Georgitzana,  we  had 
ocular  proof  of  the  sensation  excited  by  our  arrival  among  the 
rustic  population  of  this  place,  lying  off  from  the  usual  lines 
of  travel.  At  one  time  I  counted  no  fewer  than  thirty-eight 
persons,  chiefly  women  and  children,  all  apparently  intent 
upon  seeing  the  strangers.  The  female  part  of  this  assem- 
blage, engaged  in  spreading  the  news  or  scandal  of  the  vil- 
lage, were  scarcely  less  busy  with  the  spindle  and  distaff, 
their  never-failing  resource  in  moments  of  leisure. 

From  Georgitzana  our  route  lay  in  a  northwesterly  du-ec- 
tion,  across  the  hilly  and  undulating  country  separating  Lace- 
daemonia  from  Arcadia,  and  kept  Mount  Taygetus  on  the 
left.  A  more  frequented  road  leads  to  the  pass  of  Leondari, 
which  we  did  not  visit.  The  country  traversed  was  well 
wooded  and  picturesque,  but  sustains  a  very  small  popula- 
tion. The  maple,  the  plane-tree,  the  wild  olive,  the  oak,  and 
the  walnut  abound.  Cattle,  though  remarkably  small,  were 
more  numerous  than  in  any  part  of  Greece  I  had  liitherto 
crossed.  We  came  to  no  khan  on  our  way,  and  accordingly 
rested  at  noon  under  some  large  plane-trees  near  a  cool  spring 


TUE  ''grkat  city."  193 

of  water,  whose  stream  finds  its  way  to  the  Eurotas.  At 
about  three  in  the  afternoon  we  began  our  descent  toward 
Megalopolis,  which  occupies  the  centre  of  a  hirge  valley  to- 
wai'd  the  southwestern  corner  of  Arcadia.  It  appeared  ex- 
ceedingly beautiful ;  the  more  so,  perhaps,  because  the  ster- 
ility of  the  rocky  mountains  that  gird  it  is  concealed  by  a 
gi'owth  of  forest  trees,  in  some  places  quite  dense.  The  val- 
ley seemed  to  be  some  eight  miles  long  by  six  wide.  Its  soil 
was  very  fertile,  and  cultivated  with  wheat.  A  single  cy- 
press, rising  above  the  centre  of  Sinano,  guided  us  thither;  for 
during  much  of  the  time  there  was  no  road  to  follow.  At 
an  intermediate  village  we  halted  for  a  moment,  while  Nich- 
olas accosted  the  Demark,  and  cndeavoi'ed  to  obtain  lodsdno;s 
for  ourselves  and  our  suite.  He  was  urgent  in  his  claim,  and 
supported  it  by  representations  of  our  fancied  greatness  and 
high  rank  in  om-  respective  countries.  But  it  may  be  fairly 
questioned  whether  his  success  was  attributable  to  any  credit 
given  by  the  Demark  to  our  guide's  high-sounding  praises,  or 
to  the  hospitable  disposition  which  is  common  to  all  Greeks. 

Riding  about  ten  minutes  to  the  north  of  the  village  of  Si- 
nano, we  reached  the  site  of  Megalopolis.  It  occupied  both 
banks  of  the  Helisson,  a  small  creek  tributary  to  the  Alpheus, 
which  it  joins  a  few  miles  to  the  westward.  The  ruins  most 
distinctly  traceable  were  those  of  the  Theatre,  the  largest 
building  of  the  kind,  as  Pausanias  tells  us,  in  Greece.  It 
seems  to  have  been  not  less  than  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
in  diameter,  and  capable  of  seating  some  ten  or  fifteen  thou- 
sand spectators.  The  opposite  bank  is  covered  with  a  con- 
fused mass  of  walls  and  rubbish,  among  which  the  site  of  the 
ancient  forum  has  been  sought.  But  it  was  sufficient  for  us 
to  know  that  here  it  was  that  Epaminondas,  that  greatest  of 
ancient  statesmen,  founded  a  city  designed  to  act  as  a  check 
on  the  overgroAvn  power  of  Sparta.  Within  its  walls  were 
collected,  by  his  advice,  a  great  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  al- 
most every  town  in  Arcadia,  who  gave  to  their  new  home  the 
emphatic  name  of  the  "  Great  City." 

"While  my  companions  were  indulging  in  a  bath  in  the  cool 
waters  of  the  Helisson,  I  was  accosted  by  a  couple  of  Greeks 
of  the  better  class,  who  proved  to  be  a  justice  of  the  peace, 

I 


194  MEGALOPOLIS    AND    MESSENE. 

and  the  teacher  of  the  public  school.  The  latter,  a  fine-look- 
ing young  man,  told  me  that  he  had  left  the  University  at 
Athens  only  last  year,  and  he  appeared  much  interested  in 
learning  that  I  had  been  attending  lectures  there.  Some  of 
his  scholars  were  with  him,  looking  at  the  remains  of  ancient 
works,  with  which  they  had  probably  been  familiar  ever  since 
infancy.  They  were  unusually  polite,  and  gave  us  considera- 
ble information  about  the  place,  whose  name  they  pronounced 
as  if  it  were  written  Shinano,  by  a  corruption  which  in  Greece, 
as  in  Italy,  seems  to  be  confined  to  certain  localities.  On 
hearing  that  I  came  from  America,  they  plied  me  with  geo- 
graphical questions.  They  seemed  especially  pleased  to  find 
out  that  our  continent  was  actually  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
globe,  as  they  had  been  taught  at  school,  but  had  scarcely  been 
able  to  believe.  Accompanied  by  quite  a  number  of  our  new 
friends,  we  retraced  our  steps  to  Sinano,  where,  meanwhile, 
suitable  provision  had  been  made  for  our  entertainment.  On 
the  way  thither,  a  shepherd-boy,  who  was  feeding  his  flock 
near  our  path,  ran  up  to  ofier  some  small  copper  coins  for 
sale.  They  were  scarcely  legible ;  but  he  assured  us  he  had 
picked  them  up  himself,  and  so  we  took  them.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  within  an  hour  the  door  of  our  lodging-place 
was  besieged  by  a  host  of  curiosity-mongers,  bringing  with 
them  various  articles  of  interest,  which  they  begged  us  to  pur- 
chase. 

In  starting  from  Megalopolis  on  the  next  day,  we  turned  to 
the  southwest ;  and  after  some  miles'  ride  over  the  plain,  came 
to  the  mountains  that  divide  Arcadia  from  Messenia.  The 
passage  was  long  and  difiicult,  the  descent  being  very  tedious 
into  the  plain.  About  half  way,  our  progress  was  impeded  by 
a  procession,  or  what  seemed  to  be  such,  coming  up  the  mount- 
ain in  the  opposite  direction.  "Women  and  children  Avere  gen- 
erally huddled  together  on  the  backs  of  mules,  which  were  be- 
sides overloaded  with  quantities  of  clothes,  cooking  utensils, 
fire-arms,  and,  in  short,  with  every  thing  necessary  to  furnish 
the  hut  of  a  Moreotc  tsimjxcnes.  It  turned  out  that  we  had 
met  one  of  those  yearly  migi'ations  of  the  nomadic  shepherds, 
who  in  the  spring  forsake  their  villages  in  the  plain  to  pasture 
their  flocks  or  cultivate  the  higher  lands.     On  inquiry,  we 


MESSENIAN    PLAIN.  195 

found  that  the  caravan  was  composed  of  as  many  as  fifty-six 
families,  and  that  the  next  day  was  to  be  their  great  annual 
feast  in  honor  of  St.  George,  who  may  be  considered  their  pa- 
tron saint.  These  migrations  take  place  more  or  less  gener- 
ally in  all  parts  of  the  country  ;  even  the  husbandmen  lea\ang 
their  villages  in  the  spring,  and  spending  a  few  days  or  weeks 
in  ploughing  and  sowing  their  arable  lands  on  the  mountains. 
This  done,  they  descend  to  the  plains,  and  perhaps  have  no 
farther  occasion  to  return  until  their  fields  are  ready  for  har- 
vesting. For  their  accommodation,  they  usually  erect  a  sum- 
mer village — a  rude  collection  of  stone  hovels,  given  up  more 
than  three  fourths  of  the  year  to  the  vermin,  Avhich,  from  the 
slovenly  habits  of  the  people,  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  form 
a  large,  if  not  respectable,  population. 

The  pass  is  called  Dervenia — a  Turkish  word  signifying  a 
defile — and  is  guarded  by  an  effective  corps  of  five  or  six  sol- 
diers, whom  we  found  fast  asleep  within  the  guard-house.  In 
Peloponnesus  the  soldieiy  find  little  occupation ;  for  of  late 
years  robberies  have  scarcely  occurred  there,  except  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Calamas.  In  Northern  Greece  they  are  more 
busily  employed ;  but,  unfortunately,  it  is  generally  the  case 
that  when  depredations  are  committed,  the  soldiei's  reach  the 
scene  of  action  just  after  the  marauders  have  left;  affording 
the  villagers  the  poor  consolation  of  a  detachment  quartered 
on  them  for  several  days. 

Leaving  the  mountains,  we  entered  upon  the  valley  of  Mes- 
senia,  watered  by  tlie  Eiver  Pamisus  (now  called  Dipotamo), 
flowing  into  the  Messenian  Gulf.  So  well  irrigated  is  this 
plain,  and  so  fertile  the  soil,  that  it  may  doubtless  be  consid- 
ered the  garden  of  Greece,  and  almost  every  inch  of  ground  is 
carefully  cultivated.  Mount  Ithome  forms  the  opposite  side 
of  the  valley,  but  we  found  no  road  leading  thither.  Nicholas 
was  not  over  anxious  to  look  for  one,  but  struck  boldly  at 
once  through  the  fields  in  a  "  bee  line"  for  the  place  of  our 
destination.  In  spring,  when  the  fields  are  ploughed,  the 
farmer  takes  no  pains  to  preserve  the  path  of  the  preceding 
yeai",  and  expects  that  travelers  will  make  a  new  one  for  them- 
selves. No  guide,  therefore,  can  remember  the  location  of  the 
old  road ;  and  the  common  practice  is  to  ride  directly  through 


19G  MEGALOPOLIS    AND    31ESSENE. 

the  fields,  whether  they  be  wheat,  barley,  or  any  thing  else, 
without  the  least  compunction.  At  first  I  was  quite  solicitous 
about  the  injury  our  horses'  hoofs  would  occasion  to  the  youn"- 
grain ;  but  as  the  cultivators  we  passed  seemed  quite  indiffer- 
ent to  the  matter,  I  soon  lost  all  concern.  This  morning, 
however,  our  progress  was  frequently  interrupted  by  numer- 
ous ditches  for  draining  or  irrigating  the  country ;  and  we 
were  obliged  to  skirt  them  until  we  could  reach  a  favorable 
spot  for  leaping  or  fording. 

We  passed  a  village  bearing  the  name  of  Meligala,  but  saw 
little  in  the  appeai'ance  of  its  inhabitants  to  indicate  the  pros- 
perity alluded  to  in  its  appellation  ("  milk  and  honey").  Soon 
after,  the  ascent  began.  Our  baggage-horses  and  their  drivers 
had  meanwhile  taken  a  circuitous  but  much  easier  road  around 
the  northern  side  of  the  mountain  of  Ithome,  and  were  to  stop, 
if  they  could  find  lodgings,  at  the  small  village  of  Mavromati, 
within  the  walls  of  the  ancient  Messene.  At  the  notch  sep- 
arating Mount  Ithome  from  the  pointed  but  somewhat  lower 
head  of  Mount  Evan  on  the  south,  and  just  above  a  monas- 
tery, we  dismounted,  and  left  our  horses  with  the  guide,  to 
take  them  down  to  the  village. 

On  the  lower  part  of  Mount  Evan  began  the  first  traces  of 
the  walls,  where  we  noticed  particularly  a  window  of  shape 
somewhat  peculiar,  and  overgrown  with  bushes  and  thorny 
shrubs.  Thence  we  followed  the  line  of  the  fortifications,  in- 
terrupted occasionally  by  towers  and  gates,  running  up  the 
crest  of  Mount  Ithome.  The  ascent  was  very  tedious.  The 
path  is  steep,  and  the  elevation  very  considerable.  Over  a 
stony  ground  covered  with  bushes  of  the  prickly  oak,  which 
flourishes  here,  in  connection  with  the  yellow  flowered  broom, 
and  under  a  burning  sun,  it  was,  perhaps,  three  quarters  of 
an  hour  before  we  stood  on  the  summit.  This  is  occupied  by 
an  old  ruined  convent,  whose  ivy-grown  walls  we  climbed  to 
enjoy  a  view  extending  over  the  whole  of  Messenia.  To  the 
south  and  southeast  lay  the  Avide  Gulf  of  Messenia  or  Coron, 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  highlands  of  Maina,  as  far  as  Cape 
Grosso,  by  which  all  farther  prospect  was  cut  off.  Nearer 
came  the  town  of  Calamas,  on  the  shore  of  the  gulf,  and  the 
intervening  luxuriant  plain  watered  by  the  Pamisus,  which 


STRrOOLES  OP  FREEDOM.  197 

orijrinates  in  a  large  marsh  to  the  north.  Toward  the  south 
and  west  the  prospect  was  hemmed  in  by  mountains,  the  in- 
tervening country  being  very  hilly.  Only  to  the  northwest 
could  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Ionian  Sea,  and  apparently 
of  the  island  of  Zante  in  the  midst.  Of  the  whole  picture  the 
snow-capped  range  of  Taygetus  was  the  most  striking  feature. 

The  monasteiy  bears  the  same  name  as  the  more  modern 
one  below — Panagia  of  Vurcano.  It  is  so  called  from  a  cer- 
tain miraculous  image  of  the  blessed  Virgin  that  used,  as  they 
say,  to  appear  to  shephei'ds  in  this  neighborhood.  Notwith- 
standing the  sanctity  of  the  spot,  which  was  reputed  to  be  so 
near  to  heaven,  the  old  monks  found  the  situation  rather  too 
airy ;  perhaps,  also,  the  steep  ascent  was  too  difficult  for  their 
asthmatic  corpulency.  Hence  the  erection  of  the  lower  edi- 
fice. "We  entered  the  silent  rooms  and  courts ;  but  the  most 
interesting  part,  the  church,  was  closed.  On  the  walls  we 
found  a  curious  tablet  full  of  misspellings,  and  partly  written 
in  characters  similar  to  inscriptions  of  an  early  date.  But  it 
was  evidently  the  work  of  some  illiterate  monk. 

There  is  no  spot  where  the  friend  of  freedom  stands  with  a 
prouder  feehng  than  on  the  summit  of  this  rocky  hill.  Other 
localities  have  been  noted  for  feats  of  valor,  and  have  been  the 
theatres  of  glorious  successes.  Greece  may  boast  of  her  Ther- 
mopyla3  and  Marathon,  and  cover  the  graves  of  Leonidas  the 
Spartan  and  Miltiades  the  Athenian  with  laurel  wreaths  and 
flowers.  But  Ithome  was  witness  to  a  struggle  all  the  more 
alfecting  because  of  its  sad  issue.  It  was  the  scene  of  a  con- 
flict in  wliich  a  brave  people,  never  despairing  of  their  coun- 
try's salvation,  animated  with  indomitable  courage  and  unex- 
ampled endurance,  in  cool  blood  made  a  choice  of  death  to 
slavery.  Three  times,  after  long  wars,  Avere  the  inhabitants 
overcome  by  force  of  numbers  or  the  treachery  of  their  allies  ; 
and  finally  they  were  compelled  to  succumb  to  the  ambition 
and  rapacity  of  their  grasping  neighbors,  the  Spartans.  Most 
of  the  fugitives  emigrated ;  and  some  found  a  refuge  in  the 
city  of  Mcssana,  in  Sicily.  But  when  the  Thebans  had  by  a 
single  blow,  at  Leuctra,  prostrated  the  long-established  power 
of  Lacedaemon,  Epaminondas  proved,  from  interest,  a  friend  to 
the  Messenians,  as  he  had  been  to  the  Arcadians.     He  pur- 


198  MEGALOPOLIS    AND    JIESSENE. 

sued  in  this  instance  the  same  shrewd  policy,  and  showed 
himself  the  first  master  of  the  balance  of  power.  To  curb 
the  strength  of  their  overgrown  neighbor,  he  surrounded  Man- 
tinea  with  new  walls,  levied  contributions  of  colonists  from 
every  city  in  Arcadia  for  the  new  capital  of  Megalopolis,  and 
reassembling  the  dispersed  inhabitants  of  Messenia,  built  them 
a  large  and  strongly  fortified  city  ou  and  about  Ithome,  to 
which  now  for  the  first  time  he  gave  the  name  of  Messene. 
The  existing  remains  date,  almost  without  exception,  from 
this  period. 

It  was  growing  dark,  and  we  hurried  toward  the  village, 
making  short  cuts  down  the  precipitous  side  of  the  mountain. 
On  our  way,  and  just  before  reaching  the  village,  we  were  ac- 
costed by  a  lad  who  informed  me  that  our  whole  caravan  had 
gone  up  to  the  monastery,  not  having  succeeded  in  finding  ac- 
commodations in  the  village.  "All  the  houses,"  said  he,  "  are 
crowded  with  the  peasantry  of  the  neighborhood.  All  from 
far  and  near  are  coming  to  celebrate  a  i-tanegyri  in  honor  of 
St.  George  to-morrow."  So  we  must  needs  wend  our  way 
back  again,  and  it  was  late  when  we  gained  admittance  to  the 
cloister,  after  a  number  of  vain  attempts  to  make  ourselves 
heard  at  the  gate.  Our  guide  made  the  best  apology  he  could 
for  not  having  let  us  know  of  the  change  in  our  destination  ; 
but  his  excuses  were  unanimously  voted  unsatisfactory,  nor 
was  any  sort  of  good  humor  restored  to  one,  at  least,  of  our 
number,  until  we  had  partaken  of  our  evening  meal.  The 
monastery  was,  as  usual,  built  about  a  court,  with  galleries 
running  around  it,  upon  which  the  rooms  opened.  A  cham- 
ber was  assigned  to  us  in  an  upper  stoiy,  where  we  seated 
ourselves  on  a  wide  divan  with  two  or  three  monks  Avho  came 
in  to  chat  with  us.  As  they  knew  no  language  but  their  own, 
I  was  obliged  to  act  as  interpreter  for  the  company.  Conver- 
sation naturally  turned  on  the  monastery  and  its  inmates. 
They  told  me  there  were  but  fifteen  monks  all  told,  besides 
servants  and  novices,  and  that  the  reveniies,  which  were  but 
small,  were  yielded  by  several  estates  of  land,  or  metochia, 
farmed  for  their  benefit.  The  abbot  was  at  the  time  absent 
superintending  some  of  this  property.  Our  farther  inquiries 
were  at  length  interrupted  by  the  tardy  arrival  of  our  din- 


STADIUM    OF    JIESSENE.  199 

ner,  and  our  new  friends  would  not  accept  an  invitation  to 
join  us. 

We  were  up  on  the  morrow  in  time  to  step  into  the  small 
church  of  the  monastery,  where  morning  prayers  were  being 
recited.  It  is  a  curious  place,  walls  and  ceiling  being  orna- 
mented with  odd  fresco  paintings,  half  etJaced  in  many  places, 
and  full  two  or  three  hundi'ed  years  old.  The  enti'ance  is 
decorated  with  representations  of  the  zodiac  and  of  numerous 
saints.  While  the  agoyates  were  loading  the  horses,  my  com- 
panions and  I  set  out  to  see  the  existing  ruins  of  IVIessene. 
On  the  way  we  passed  the  foundation  of  some  temple,  whose 
site  is  either  not  marked,  or  wrongly  located  in  all  the  plans 
of  the  city  we  had  examined.  A  number  of  persons  came 
out  to  meet  us  with  various  coins  found  in  the  neighborhood, 
some  of  which,  being  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  we  took. 
On  our  descent  Ave  passed  through  the  village  of  Mavromati, 
so  called  from  its  spring,  the  ancient  Clepsydra,  in  which  it 
was  fabled  that  Jupiter  bathed  for  the  first  time.  The  re- 
mains of  the  old  theatre  consisted  chiefly  of  a  great  wall  sup- 
porting its  foundation,  built  in  the  same  manner  as  the  city 
walls  Ave  had  examined  yesterday  on  the  mountain.  The 
face  of  each  stone,  instead  of  presenting  a  flat  and  even  sur- 
face, was  rounded,  so  as  to  bulge  out  considerably  toward  the 
centre.  Farther  doAvn  Ave  found  several  walls,  and  then  the 
remnants  of  a  double  portico  of  columns  three  feet  or  more 
in  diameter,  Avhieh  ran  around  three  sides  of  the  stadium  or 
race-course.  This,  consequently,  served  for  the  reception  of 
the  crowds  that  flocked  to  see  the  games,  and  afforded  an 
agreeable  shelter  in  either  rainy  or  very  warm  weather.  Of 
the  stadium  itself  there  remain  a  considerable  number  of 
stone  seats,  with  much  of  the  walls,  and  the  Doric  capitals 
of  the  portico.  A  striking  effect  is  produced  by  the  small 
stream,  which  is  now  diverted  from  its  ancient  course,  and 
pours  directly  down  from  the  village  into  the  stadium,  Avhere 
it  runs  over  the  seats  and  through  the  arena.  Our  explora- 
tions Avere  diversified  by  the  discovery  and  capture  of  a  large, 
but,  I  believe,  not  a  dangerous,  snake,  Avhich  I  noticed  creep- 
ing through  the  high  grass.  The  reptile  measured  about  four 
feet  in  length. 


200  iMEGALOPOMS    AND    MKSSKNE. 

We  returned  through  the  fields  to  the  village,  where,  after 
a  peep  into  the  old  fountain,  we  mounted  our  horses,  which 
were  in  Avaiting,  and  rode  by  the  northern  road  along  the  side 
of  Ithome  nearly  a  mile,  when  we  reached  the  famous  Gate 
of  MegalojJoHs.  This  unique  specimen  of  Greek  military  archi- 
tecture is  not  composed  of  a  single  portal,  but  of  two  gate- 
ways separated  from  each  other  by  a  circular  court  sixty-two 
feet  across.  Both  were  undoubtedly  closed  by  ponderous 
brazen  gates,  and  the  exterior  of  these  was  flanked  by  pro- 
jections of  the  walls,  from  the  top  of  which  the  besieged 
could  annoy  those  of  their  enemies  who  had  the  temerity  to 
approach.  But  even  should  the  outermost  gate  be  forced,  the 
assailants  would  find  themselves  inclosed  in  a  small  court, 
where  a  hundred  unseen  hands  would  be  pouring  down  upon 
them  a  volley  of  stones,  arrows,  and  other  missiles ;  and  the 
second  portal  would  be  no  less  difficult  to  break  thi'ough  than 
the  first.  The  court  is  regularly  built  in  courses  of  smooth 
stone ;  and  the  walls,  still  remaining  about  fifteen  feet  high, 
are  adorned  with  two  niches  for  statues.  The  lintel  of  the 
exterior  gateway  has  been  destroyed ;  that  which  surmounted 
the  entrance  from  the  city  has  merely  fallen,  from  the  giving 
way  of  the  supports  on  one  side.  Strange  to  say,  in  this  fall 
the  huge  mass  of  stone  received  no  fracture,  and  now  stands 
in  an  inclined  position,  with  one  end  resting  on  the  ground. 
On  measuring  it,  we  found  this  single  block  to  be  eighteen 
feet  nine  inches  long,  four  feet  wide,  and  two  feet  four  inches 
thick — dimensions  rivaling  those  of  the  fai'-famed  Cyclopean 
works.  This  gate  was  undoubtedly  built  in  the  time  of 
Epaminondas.  An  adjoining  tower  which  we  entered  was 
very  perfectly  preserved.  Its  form  was  square,  and  twenty- 
two  courses  of  masonry  could  be  counted.  We  gained  access 
to  the  interior  by  a  door  from  the  wall,  and  found,  within,  a 
room,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  square,  of  rough  stone.  There 
were  two  windows  high  up,  and  two  embrasures,  or  openings, 
for  the  archers  to  shoot  through,  much  resembling  those  now 
in  use,  being  narrow  on  the  outside  and  Avider  Avithin,  so  as  to 
alloAv  greater  freedom  of  action.  Earthquakes  have  wrouglit 
sad  mischief  here,  and  trees  and  plants  have  grown  up  about 
the  strncturc.     Our  guide  Avould  scarcely  alloAV  us  the  time 


lUSTlC    AVONDERMENT. 


•201 


to  examine  with  care  these  ancient  ruins  and  transfer  their 
appearance  to  paper.  So  we  pushed  on  with  more  regi*et  at 
leaving  Messene  than  perhaps  any  site  we  had  visited  since 
we  k>ft  Athens. 

We  were  to  have  gone  on  directly  to  Dragoi,  or  Tragoge ; 
but,  descending  into  the  plain  of  the  Pamisus,  J.'s  horse  had 
the  misfortune  to  wrench  oiF  one  of  his  shoes  and  cut  his  foot 
badly.  Nicholas  knew  nothing  of  horse-shoeing,  and,  indeed, 
prided  himself  on  his  ignorance.  Our  only  resource  was  to 
deviate  considerably  from  our  track  to  the  right,  and  hunt  up 
the  blacksmith  of  Meligala.  This  took  some  time ;  for  it  was 
St.  George's  Day,  and  the  smith  was  reluctant  to  perform  any 
work.  Meanwhile,  we  sat  in  a  neighboring  khan,  and  soon  be- 
held a  crowd  of  gaping  countrymen  collected  about  the  doors, 
to  whom  our  coming  furnished  a  rare  staple  of  conversation. 
As  they  supposed  us,  like  the  generality  of  travelers,  entirely 
ignorant  of  their  dialect,  their  comments  were  quite  free.  In 
short,  our  whole  equipment  underwent  a  rigid  review,  and  of 
each  article  of  dress  they  expressed  their  approval  or  dislike. 
What  most  excited  the  interest  of  the  spectators  was  a  gutta- 
percha riding-whip,  which  H.  carried  and  twisted  into  all  pos- 


ITIIOilE,    FKOM   THE   STAIUIM    OF  MESSF.NE. 

r  o 


202  MEGALOPOLIS    AND    MESSENE. 

sible  shapes,  to  the  no  small  wonder  of  the  peasants,  who  ex- 
pected to  see  it  break  at  every  moment.  They  were  a  little 
disconcerted  on  discovering,  as  we  were  about  to  leave,  that 
we  could  understand  what  they  said.  About  one  o'clock  we 
got  under  way  again,  and,  having  yet  seven  hours  of  travel- 
ing, rode  as  fast  as  we  could  across  the  plain  in  a  direct  line 
to  Constantino,  a  village  with  Turkish  fortifications,  by  which 
we  passed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley  of  the  Paraisus, 
and  commenced  the  ascent  of  a  part  of  Mount  Teffagi.  The 
acclivity  was  very  difficult  and  tiresome,  as  was  the  descent 
on  tlie  opposite  side.  It  was  already  dark  when  we  reached 
the  bank  of  the  Bouzi,  the  ancient  Neda,  and  crossed  it. 
Presently  we  overtook  our  baggage-horses  and  their  drivers, 
like  ourselves  benighted  on  the  mountains.  They  had  lost 
much  time  on  the  way,  not  knowing  the  roads.  We  now 
came  to  a  ravine,  which,  being  a  little  difficult  io  ci'oss,  de- 
tained us  an  hour  in  the  cold,  while  our  guide  went  off  to 
call  a  shepherd  to  show  us  the  way.  At  length  we  reached 
the  Khan  of  Dragoi. 


TEMPLE   OF  APOLLO   EPICURIUS   AT  BASS^. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PHIGALEA,  OLYMPIA,  AND  ARCADIA. 

Our  stay  at  the  khan  of  Dragoi  was  somewhat  longer  than 
we  had  anticipated.  We  were  all  exhausted  with  yesterday's 
work,  and  felt  reluctant  to  set  out  again.  Indeed,  J.  Avas  in- 
dignant that  the  guide  should  call  us  at  four  o'clock,  and 
vowed  that  he  for  one  Avould  not  get  up.  Seeing  the  rest 
of  us  nearly  ready,  however,  he  thought  better  of  it,  and  con- 
cluded to  terminate  his  slumbers.  Still  it  Avas  seven  o'clock 
before  we  stai'ted. 

The  village  of  Dragoi,  or  Tragoge,  is  composed  of  scarce 
more  than  half  a  dozen  houses  or  huts,  in  the  best  of  which 
we  lodged  last  night.  The  hill  on  which  Phigalea  was  built 
we  saw  at  a  distance  to  the  west.  It  is  crowned  Avith  an 
acropolis  of  Cyclopean  masonry.  As  it  offered  nothing  of 
much  interest,  we  began  ascending  the  mountain  on  the  east, 
and  in  about  an  hour  and  a  half  reached  the  temple  Ave  Avere 
in  search  of,  situated  a  little  beloAV  the  summit,  but  command- 
ing a  ACiy  fine  view  southward  to  Mount  Itliome,  and  AA'-est- 
ward  toward  the  city  of  Arcadia  on  the  sea-shore.  To-day, 
hoAvcA'er,  the  atmosphere  was  not  at  all  clear,  on  account  of 
the  warm  and  disagreeable  Sirocco  Avind,  which  had  been  blow- 
ing Avithout  intermission  for  the  last  three  days.     Though  it 


204  I'HKiALKA,    OLYMI'IA,    AND    AKOADIA. 

does  not  produce  the  same  bad  effects  as  in  Arabia  and  Afri- 
ca, its  presence  is  at  once  detected  by  the  difficulty  experi- 
enced in  respiration,  and  by  the  very  liazy  and  indistinct  ap- 
pearance it  imparts  to  all  distant  objects,  and  especially  to 
the  mountains,  without  the  intervention  of  any  clouds. 

The  Temjyle  of  Apollo  Epicarius  of  Bassse  we  examined  with 
much  interest,  both  because  it  was  built  by  Ictinus,  architect 
of  the  Parthenon,  and  because  its  parts  are  more  distinctly 
traceable  than  those  of  any  other  Grecian  temple.  It  is  an 
edifice  of  the  Doric  order,  not  of  the  lai'gest  size,  being  only 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  long  and  forty-eight  feet 
wide.  The  row  of  columns  that  ran  around  the  building,  and 
formed  a  continuous  portico,  is  entire,  with  the  exception  of 
thi'ee  that  have  fallen.  Each  front  was  supported  by  six  col- 
umns. Behind  these  two  more  stood  before  the  entrance  to 
the  body  or  cella,  the  position  of  whose  walls  is  now  marked 
only  by  a  coui'se  or  two  of  stones.  The  floor  of  the  temple 
has  an  oblong  depression,  some  thirty-three  feet  long,  in  the 
centre.*  Here  the  great  statue  of  Apollo  must  have  stood, 
until  it  was  removed  to  grace  the  city  of  Megalopolis,  only 
seventy  years  after  the  foundation  of  the  temple.  Around 
this  spot  we  noticed  the  lower  parts  of  five  half  columns  on 
either  side.  They  formed  the  supports  of  a  small  interior 
portico  ;  but  the  statue  itself  was  uncovered.  All  the  statu- 
ary of  this  beautiful  temple  has  been  removed  to  the  British 
Museum,  where  the  beauty  of  the  sculpture,  added  to  the  re- 
markable purity  of  the  Parian  marble,  make  it  conspicuous 
among  the  Greek  antiquities.  The  lonely  site  of  this  struc- 
ture, on  this  high  and  barren  Arcadian  mountain,  remote  even 
in  ancient  times  from  any  large  village,  strikes  one  as  very 
singular.  It  is,  however,  referable  to  the  fact  that  this  temple 
was  erected  by  the  inhabitants  of  Phigalea,  a  town  some  miles 
distant,  to  commemorate  their  deliverance,  through  the  sup- 
posed intercession  of  Apollo,  from  a  devastating  pestilence.  In 
an  architectural  point  of  view,  its  most  salient  peculiarity  is 

*  Many  archaeologists  suppose  that  these  depressions  were  made  for 
the  purpose  of  retaining  the  liquids  that  were  often  poured  over  ivory 
statues,  to  prevent  decomposition  occasioned  by  exposure  to  the  atmos- 
phere in  an  open  court. 


BANKS    OK    THE    AI.PHEUS.  205 

the  form  of  the  columns,  which  taper  perhaps  more  than 
those  of  any  other  Greek  edifice,  and  closely  resemble  those 
at  Pajstum. 

Having  satisfied  our  curiosity  by  this  inspection,  we  returned 
a  part  of  the  way  toward  our  last  night's  resting-place,  and 
then  commenced  a  fresh  ascent.  At  the  end  of  two  or  three 
hours  we  reached  the  large  village  of  Andritzena,  beautiful- 
ly situated  on  the  northern  slope  of  a  hill,  facing  the  valley 
of  the  River  Alpheus.*  Though  very  straggling,  it  was  cer- 
tainly the  largest  and  neatest  place  we  had  passed  through  since 
leaving  Sparta.  It  is  said  to  have  been  entirely  destroyed  by 
the  Turks  during  the  Kevolution,  when  this  part  of  Pelopon- 
nesus suffered  most  severely  from  the  ravages  of  Ibrahim  Pa- 
sha and  his  Egyptian  troops.  We  sat  in  a  private  house  to 
lunch,  and  while  our  horses  were  resting  were  accosted  by  a 
Roman  exile,  who  had  fled  hither  after  the  suppression  of  lib- 
erty in  his  native  city.  Few  of  these  refugees  have  penetrated 
so  far  into  the  interior,  though  many  are  inhabitants  of  Athens. 

The  prospect  as  we  commenced  the  descent  was  lovely ;  it 
extended  for  a  considerable  distance  over  the  beautiful  valley 
of  the  Alpheus  to  the  hills  beyond,  surmounted  by  the  snowy 
head  of  Olonus.  In  the  valley  we  entered  upon  a  paradise 
of  flowers.  No  part  of  Greece  is  more  plentifully  clothed 
with  vegetation,  and  almost  none  contains  a  smaller  popula- 
tion in  proportion  to  its  natural  resources.  The  fertile  soil 
is  covered  with  clumps  of  trees  and  shrubs  of  moderate  size, 
that  give  it  the  aspect  of  a  park.  The  laurel,  lentisk,  prickly 
oak,  and  thorn,  just  coming  into  blossom,  lend  variety  to  the 
landscape.  To  us  the  sight  possessed  pecuhar  charms,  since, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  hours,  we  had  passed  from  a  region 
where  winter  had  scarcely  loosed  its  bands,  into  another  cli- 
mate, where  the  benignant  reign  of  summer  was  already  be- 
gun. Two  hours  mox*e  of  riding  among  the  hillocks  of  the 
plain,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  Alpheus,  brought  us  op- 

*  In  crossing  the  mountains  this  morning,  we  noticed  with  regi'et  the 
wantonness  with  which  many  forest  trees  of  great  size  have  been  de- 
stroyed. The  shepherds,  it  appears,  are  accustomed  to  hght  fires  hy 
niiiht  at  the  foot  of  the  hvrgest  trees ;  and  in  this  way  about  half  of  them 
remained  onlv  as  blackened  trunks,  left  to  rot. 


206  PHIGALEA,    OLYJIPIA,   AND    ARCADIA. 

posite  to  the  village  of  St.  John,  or  Hagios  Joannes.  A  ford- 
ing-place  was  found  without  much  difficulty.  At  other  sea- 
sons of  the  year,  or  after  heavy  rains,  the  Alpheus  is  frequent- 
ly much  swollen.  We  had  been  by  no  means  certain  that  it 
would  not  be  necessary  to  ride  farther  up,  and  thus  lose  a 
day  in  crossing ;  or  else  go  down  as  far  as  Agolonitza,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  stream,  where  communication  is  kept  up 
between  the  banks  by  a  regular  feriy-boat.  We  lodged  in  a 
house  on  the  bluff  overhanging  the  Ali)heus,  at  a  few  minutes' 
walk  from  the  principal  part  of  the  village. 

Hagios  Joannes  is  supposed  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  im- 
portant city  of  Hercea,  of  Avhich  no  traces  can  be  detected 
but  a  small  piece  of  Roman  brick-work,  lying  some  distance 
back  from  the  river.  It  is  situated  at  the  point  where  the 
Alpheus,  forsaking  its  northwesterly  course  through  the  up- 
per valley,  turns  and  flows  in  the  direction  of  the  sea.  Olym- 
pia,  which  we  were  next  to  visit,  lies  on  the  same  side  of  the 
river,  and  the  road  thither  follows  the  bank  of  the  stream. 
The  body  of  water  is  small,  varying  in  breadth  from  50  to 
150  feet ;  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  the  largest  and  widest  river 
in  Southern  Greece.  Its  bed  is  at  times  much  wider,  and 
sometimes  divided  by  two  or  three  islands.  Though  the  wa- 
ter is  now  shalloAV,  scarcely  reaching  to  the  knee,  the  course 
changes  exceedingly  from  year  to  year.  There  may  frequently 
be  seen  dry  tracts,  which  at  some  time  or  other  doubtless 
formed  part  of  the  bed.  This  is  peculiarly  striking  in  the 
vale  of  Olympia,  where  the  marks  left  on  the  alluvial  soil 
have  been  mistaken  by  some  antiquarians  for  the  site  of  a 
stadium  or  hippodrome. 

On  our  way  we  forded  a  couple  of  tributaries  to  the  Al- 
pheus. The  first  was  the  Eouphia  or  Ladon,  a  stream  of 
considerable  length,  rising  in  the  mountainous  region  of 
Northern  Arcadia,  and  drawing  most  of  its  Avaters  from  the 
Lake  of  Phonia,  through  an  underground  channel  or  katavo- 
thron.  The  people  of  the  neighborhood  give  the  name  of 
Rouphia  to  the  united  stream  also,  below  its  junction  with 
the  Alpheus.  The  other  tributary,  the  Erymanthus,  derives 
its  appellation  from  the  mountain  where  Hercules  is  fabled  to 
have  slain  the  Ervmanthian  boar.     It  is  known  at  present  as 


TEMPLE    OF    JUPITER    AT    OLYMPIA.  207 

the  Doana.  There  was  nothing  of  antiquarian  interest  to  en- 
tertain us  on  our  way.  At  one  spot,  indeed,  we  passed  a  tu- 
muhis  of  considerable  size :  on  riding  up  to  it,  however,  I 
could  perceive  only  traces  of  modern  excavations.  But  the 
ride  was  charming,  and  the  air  balmy  and  spring-like.  About 
an  hour's  distance  from  Olympia,  we  sat  down  under  a  clump 
of  trees  to  our  mid-day  repast,  and  spent  a  part  of  the  time 
allowed  us  in  bathing  in  the  Alpheus.  The  water  Avas  cool, 
but  too  shallow  near  the  shore,  and  the  current  was  very 
strong. 

A  little  past  noon  we  entered  the  small  vale  of  Olympia, 
some  two  miles  long  and  half  as  wide,  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  low  and  well-wooded  hills,  among  which  the  river  winds. 
Our  guide  first  pointed  out  to  us  what  he  maintained  was  the 
ancient  stadium ;  but  we  easily  recognized  in  it  one  of  the 
bends  of  the  Alpheus  laid  bare  by  an  alteration  in  its  course. 
A  few  years  since,  the  only  vestiges  that  seemed  to  have  sur- 
vived the  general  wreck  of  ages  to  mark  the  ancient  site  of 
Olympia,  were  a  few  brick  walls  of  Koman  construction,  and 
these  scarcely  sufficient  to  determine  the  precise  locality.  It 
is  to  the  French  scientific  expedition  in  the  Morea  that  we 
owe  the  discovery  of  the  exact  position,  and  considerable  re- 
mains of  one  of  the  most  famous  temples  of  antiquity.  At 
some  period,  perhaps,  these  ruins  at  the  base  of  a  hill,  Mount 
Cronius,  were  overwhelmed  by  the  Alpheus ;  or,  at  least,  by 
some  means  or  other  were  covered  with  several  feet  of  allu- 
vial soil,  under  which  they  lay  as  nicely  concealed  as  ever 
was  a  mass  of  gold  under  the  sands  of  some  Californian  creek. 
The  fortunate  discoverers  have,  of  course,  made  Avay  with 
all  the  poi'table  statuary  and  bas-reliefs.  The  more  ponder- 
ous columns  lie  scattered  about  in  the  excavation,  just  as 
when  uncovered.  The  explorations  were  sufficient  to  show 
the  general  form  of  the  temple,  which  was  a  great  hexastyle 
building ;  that  is,  had  six  columns  on  each  front.  The  col- 
umns are  truly  gigantic,  measuring,  as  I  found,  over  seven 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  top  of  the  first  drum.  As  the  style 
was  the  Doric,  each  fluting  is  over  a  foot  in  breadth.  Their 
material  is  hard  but  ordinary  porous  limestone,  abounding  in 
petrifactions,  and  certainly  incapable  of  receiving  a  high  pol- 


208  FHIGALEA,   OLYMPIA,   AND    AKCADTA. 

ish.  This  seems  to  necessitate  the  conviction  that  the  entire 
edifice  was  covered  with  some  soi-t  of  stucco,  as,  indeed,  the 
discoveries  have  proved.  The  whole,  we  are  told,  presented  to 
the  eye  the  appearance  of  one  of  the  most  elegant  structures 
in  the  galaxy  of  Grecian  temples,  and  was  dedicated  to  Jupi- 
ter, in  whose  honor  the  games  were  celebrated  for  nearly 
eight  centuries  before  the  Christian  era.  Its  size  varied  little 
from  that  of  the  Parthenon  at  Athens ;  but  as  there  were  but 
six  columns  on  the  fronts,  these  must  necessarily  have  been 
proportionately  stouter  and  loftier.  The  surrounding  space 
was  occupied  by  the  Altis,  or  sacred  gi*ove  of  the  god;  and 
the  stadium  was  probably  not  far  off,  along  the  banks  of  the 
Alpheus.  If  so,  we  need  not  despair  of  its  discovery  at  some 
future  day,  under  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  sand  and  mud.  If  any 
dikes  were  formed  in  this  valley  by  the  ancients,  to  ward  off 
the  encroachments  of  the  treacherous  stream,  they  have  been 
long  since  swept  away.  The  important  variations  in  the 
course  of  the  river  within  a  few  years,  will  be  readily  un- 
derstood by  any  one  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  compare  the 
map  in  Stanhope's  Travels  with  a  more  modern  one. 

Near  the  temple  stands  a  ruined  building  of  polygonal 
shape,  said  to  be  the  stables  for  the  horses  used  in  the  Olym- 
pian games ;  but  we  saw  nothing  to  countenance  the  supposi- 
tion. The  situation  of  Olympia  Avas  celebrated  in  ancient 
times  for  the  singular  heat  to  which  it  was  subject,  sheltered 
as  it  is  from  every  wind  by  the  surrounding  hills ;  and  for  the 
want  of  drinkable  water,  until  supplied  by  means  of  an  aque- 
duct built  by  Herodes  Atticus,  the  benefactor  of  Athens.  AYe 
experienced  both  of  these  inconveniences  during  the  hour  we 
spent  on  the  spot,  though  we  were  yet  in  the  beginning  of 
May. 

There  flows  into  the  Alpheus  at  Glympia  a  small  brook, 
the  Cladeus,  at  present  called  Stravo-kephuli.  We  followed 
its  ravine,  through  which,  as  was  our  uniform  custom,  our 
baggage  had  been  sent  on.  The  ride  was  pleasant,  through 
pine  woods  and  up  a  continuous  ascent.  About  half  past  five 
we  reached  the  elevated  plateau,  where  stands  the  village  of 
Lala,  our  stopping-place  for  the  night.  Our  lodgings  were  at 
a  pretty  good  house,  which  our  attendants  had  been  empow- 


SIEGE   or    LA  LA.  209 

ered  to  secure  for  our  exclusive  enjoyment,  by  turning  the  in- 
mates out  of  their  quarters,  besides  hiying  hands  upon  what- 
ever they  could  lind  in  the  way  of  eatables  and  cooking  uten- 
sils. But  it  is  long  since  we  have  had  the  luxury  of  seeing 
panes  of  glass  in  our  windows,  or  a  roof  destitute  of  crevices 
between  the  rows  of  tiles,  furnishing  a  larger  entrance  to  the 
pure  air  of  heaven  than  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  pur- 
poses of  ventilation. 

The  brief  season  of  daylight  that  remained  was  spent  in 
walking  around  Lala.  It  consists  at  present  of  only  a  few 
straggling  huts,  barely  deserving  the  name  of  a  hamlet. 
Thirty  years  ago  it  was  a  considei-able  village.  Pouqueville 
in  1816  describes  it  as  "a  large  straggling  place,  presenting 
vast  palaces  and  detached  groups  of  houses  pierced  with  loop- 
holes for  musketry."  It  was  inhabited  by  one  of  those  Alba- 
nian colonies  which  it  had  been  the  policy  of  the  Porte  to 
transplant  to  Grecian  soil,  in  order  to  check  the  growth,  if 
they  could  not  entirely  destroy  the  being,  of  the  old  Hellenic 
inhabitants.  Like  most  of  their  compatriots,  they  retained 
their  national  costume,  their  peculiar  language,  the  Moham- 
medan religion,  and  an  inveterate  hatred  to  their  Christian 
neighbors.  When  in  1820  the  standard  of  revolt  was  unfurled, 
the  Laliotes  took  part  with  the  Turks,  and  for  months  ravaged 
the  richer  plains  towai'd  the  sea.  The  Greeks  in  vain  at- 
tempted to  restrain  them,  till,  reinforced  by  auxiliaries  from 
the  Ionian  Isles,  they  were  emboldened  to  lay  siege  to  Lala, 
which,  from  its  strength,  offered  them  no  prospect  of  capture 
but  by  a  prolonged  blockade.  Meanwhile  the  Albanian  La- 
liotes succeeded  in  procuring  additional  forces  from  Patras, 
whither  they  hoped  to  be  enabled  to  remove  their  families  for 
safety.  Jousouf  Pasha  having  thus  collected  an  army  of  twen- 
ty-five hundred  men  or  more,  attacked  the  Christians,  who 
numbered  about  fifteen  hundi-ed.  After  an  obstinate  conflict, 
lasting  from  morning  to  night,  the  Turks  were  worsted,  but 
succeeded  in  making  their  retreat  unmolested  to  Patras.  On 
the  following  day  the  Greeks  entei'ed  Lala,  and,  after  plunder- 
ing it,  set  fire  to  the  village,  which  lay  at  too  inconvenient  a 
distance  to  supply  with  provisions.  This  was  one  of  the  first 
trials  of  valor  between  the  Greeks  and  the  Turks  in  the  ISIorea, 


210  PIllGALEA,   OLYMPIA,   AND    ARCADIA. 

and  tended  greatly  to  inspire  the  insurgents  with  hope  and 
courage.* 

The  only  traces  of  the  Turkish  period  now  extant  are  two 
or  three  square  inclosures  or  citadels,  the  remains,  doubtless, 
of  the  "  detached  groups  of  houses"  to  which  Pouqueville  al- 
ludes ;  and  although  built  in  part  of  fragments  of  the  Temple 
of  Jupiter,  at  Olympia,  they  presented  to  us  nothing  of  much 
interest. 

It  was  late  on  the  morrow  before  we  set  oiF  from  Lala. 
The  plateau  on  which  it  stands  is  apparently  quite  extensive 
toward  the  east  and  west.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  ham- 
let there  are  small  cultivated  fields,  inclosed  by  fences  neatly 
framed  of  interwoven  brush  so  tightly  put  together  as  abso- 
lutely to  prevent  the  intrusion  of  animals  of  any  kind.  On 
the  northeastern  side  of  the  plain  there  stretches  a  remarkable 
line  of  hills,  which,  from  their  singular  uniformity,  strongly  re- 
semble a  fortification  composed  of  two  embankments  super- 
imposed. Over  the  top  of  both  towers  the  beautiful  snowy 
summit  of  Mount  Olonos,  the  ancient  Erymanthus.  We  rode 
directly  toward  this  range,  and  in  the  act  of  entering  a  narrow 
defile,  caught  on  our  left  a  clear  view  of  the  isle  of  Zante,  far 
off  on  the  Ionian  Sea.  Our  day's  I'ide,  though  a  I'ough  one, 
and  consisting  of  alternate  ascents  and  descents,  was  short. 
Passing  near  the  village  of  Koumara,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  valley  through  which  the  River  Erymanthus  flows,  we  wit- 
nessed an  interesting  procession.  To-morrow  a  couple  of  peas- 
ants are  to  be  married,  and  then  the  regular  ceremony  is  to  be 
performed.  But  to-day  the  bridegroom  and  his  attendants  re- 
pair, with  the  music  of  a  flute  or  bagpipe,  to  the  house  of  the 
bride's  parents,  whence  they  bring  back  the  young  woman's 
dowry.     Such  a  procession  we  noticed  this  afternoon,  wend- 

*  The  circumstances  of  this  battle  are  given  at  length,  and  not  very 
consistent!}',  by  Colonel  Gordon  (Hist,  of  Gr.  Rev.,  p.  212-14),  Dr.  Howe 
(^Sketch  of  the  Gr.  Rev.,  p.  23,  24),  and  Archbishop  Germanos  (Ifi/pom- 
nemata,  p.  45-47).  The  number  of  the  troops  engaged,  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  Greeks  previous  to  the  battle,  and  even  the  day  of  the 
month  on  which  it  occurred,  are  among  the  discordant  points.  The 
whole  has  been  still  farther  complicated  by  an  awkward  tyjiograj^hical 
error  in  Gordon's  work,  from  which  it  would  naturallj''  be  inferred  that 
all  these  occurrences  happened  a  year  sooner  than  they  did. 


psoPHis.  211 

ing  its  way  along  the  side  of  the  opposite  mountain  ;  but  the 
distance  was  too  groat  to  allow  us  to  see  it  with  much  distinct- 
ness. At  a  little  past  three  we  reached  the  lonely  khan  of 
Tripotamo — so  named  because  it  stands  at  the  junction  of  three 
valleys,  from  each  of  which  there  pours  down  a  stream  going 
to  swell  the  Erymanthus.  The  day  was  wet,  and  we  were 
glad  to  gain  a  shelter,  as  well  as  to  obtain  time  for  writing 
up  our  memoranda,  finishing  sketches,  attending  to  various 
specimens  of  natural  history  -with  which  we  had  managed  to 
store  our  traveling-bags  to  the  no  small  detriment  of  books 
and  clothing;  and,  in  short,  a  variety  of  minor  jobs,  which, 
on  account  of  our  usual  late  hours,  had  accumulated  on  our 
hands.  Still  we  had  in  the  khan  not  only  the  discomforts  of 
a  Avindy  chamber,  but  the  apprehension  of  being  kept  awake 
all  night  by  a  number  of  sick  children  under  the  same  roof, 
all  of  whom  were  afflicted  with  the  hooping-cough. 

The  isolated  conical  hill,  just  eastward  of  the  khan,  was 
the  supposed  site  of  Psophis,  or  rather  of  the  citadel  of  that 
town.  Before  we  left  Tripotamo  we  undertook  the  ascent, 
and  were  scarcely  repaid  for  our  walk  through  the  moist 
grass  by  the  sight  of  a  few  remnants  of  polygonal  masonry. 
The  place  is  one  of  the  strongest  that  can  be  imagined,  and 
even  at  present  a  few  cannon  placed  on  the  summit  of  the 
hill  Avould  command  all  the  passes.  Yet  we  hear,  I  believe, 
of  but  one  siege  of  this  town,  B.C.  219. 

From  Psophis  Ave  rode  for  two  hours  up  the  same  winding 
valley  of  the  Erymanthus,  until  Ave  arrived  at  the  small  vil- 
lage of  Dcssino,  Avhere  it  seems  to  terminate.  Thence  we 
had  intended  following  the  road  to  Calavryta.  Some  of  our 
party,  hoAvever,  entertained  a  great  desire  to  see  the  Lake 
of  Phonia  and  the  surrounding  scenery,  said  by  many  to  be 
the  most  grand  and  picturesque  mountain  district  in  Greece. 
Nicholas  maintained  that,  in  order  to  accomplish  this,  we 
must  inevitably  proceed  first  to  Calavrj'ta,  thence  make  an 
excursion  of  two  or  three  days,  and  return  thither  again.  To 
this  Ave  were  averse,  the  time  of  my  fellow-travellers'  stay  in 
Greece  being  quite  limited.  We  had  consequently  examined 
our  maps  Avith  care,  and  discovered  AA'hat  we  imagined  to  be 
a  practicable  road  leading  OAer  tlie  mountains  from  the  vil- 


212  PHIGALEA,   OLYMPIA,    AND    AKCADIA. 

lage  of  Dessino  in  precisely  the  required  direction.  Our 
guide  still  persisted  in  averring  the  impracticability  of  lead- 
ing the  horses  (especially  those  that  carried  the  baggage)  over 
what  could  be  nothing  more  than  a  mere  foot-j^ath.  It  was 
agreed  to  refer  the  matter  to  the  inhabitants  of  Dessino,  who 
might  naturally  be  the  best  judges  of  the  matter.  These  lat- 
ter worthies  gave  us  a  I'eady  audience.  It  was  a  feast-day : 
and  after  their  morning  devotions,  all  the  wiseacres  of  the  vil- 
lage were  collected  on  the  open  common.  Our  arrival  put  an 
end  for  the  time  to  their  games  and  dances,  and  they  gave  us 
their  advice  with  hearty  good-will.  liut  our  perplexity  was 
now  to  choose  between  the  conflicting  opinions.  For  Avhile  the 
old  fogies  smoked  their  pipes,  and  declared  it  was  impossible 
Avith  pack-horses  to  cross  directly  over  to  Cleitouras,  "Young 
Greece"  became  exceedingly  animated,  and  indignantly  as- 
serted that  there  was  not  a  safer  road  in  the  town,  as  was 
proved  by  the  fact  that  the  marriage  processions  carrying  the 
bride's  dowry  took  that  way  when  occasion  required.  The 
latter  opinion  corresponded  with  our  inclinations,  and  so  it 
was  at  once  decided  to  undertake  the  ascent.  We  took  the 
precaution,  however,  of  engaging  one  of  the  youths,  who  had 
been  the  most  zealous  advocate  of  the  scheme,  as  our  guide. 
In  half  an  hour  we  had  reached  the  summit  of  the  much- 
slandered  pass,  and  sent  back  our  lad  well  repaid  for  his 
trouble.  The  only  difficulty  we  had  encountered  was  that 
the  path  for  a  considerable  distance  ran  along  a  narrow  ledge 
of  rock  or  sand,  overhanging  an  ugly  precipice.  Once,  how- 
ever, it  was  necessary  partially  to  unlade  the  pack-horses. 

The  descent  on  the  opposite  side  was  much  longer.  We 
passed  on  the  way  a  monastery  dedicated  to  St.  Theodore  or 
Theodosius,  whex'c  there  were  some  twenty-five  monks,  most 
of  whom  came  out  to  see  us.  They  were  attired,  not  as  or- 
dinarily in  long  black  gowns,  but  in  garments  of  sheepskin, 
and  wore  conical  caps.  Below  we  found  our  way  into  a  nar- 
row but  rather  fertile  valley,  passing  a  couple  of  villages  evi- 
dently of  Albanian  or  Bulgarian  origin,  and  thence  into  tlint 
of  the  ancient  Clitor,  whence  we  could  distinctly  see  the  ham- 
let where  we  were  to  lodge.  J.  went  on  with  the  baggage 
and  our  guide,  while  11.  and  T  dismounted,  in  order  to  explore 


SITE    OF    CLITOK.  *•  213 

the  ruins  of  the  ancient  city.  This  we  did  without  difficulty; 
lor,  excepting  the  slight  remains  of  one  or  two  temples,  and 
the  half-obliterated  site  of  a  theatre,  the  sole  interest  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  walls,  which  are  preserved  or  traceable  through 
almost  their  entire  circuit.  Being  on  a  plain,  they  take  advant- 
age of  a  continuous  hillock,  along  whose  crest  one  side  of  the 
quadrangle  runs,  following  its  sinuosities.  They  are  pro- 
tected at  distances  of  one  hundred  feet  by  round  towers  about 
twenty-three  feet  in  diameter,  almost  half  embedded  in  the 
walls.  This  construction,  as  far  as  we  saw,  was  quite  imique 
among  ancient  fortifications.  We  followed  these  walls,  which 
are  now  rarely  more  than  four  or  five  feet  high,  for  some  dis- 
tance through  the  cornfields,  and  over  a  soil  abounding  with 
fragments  of  broken  potter^'  and  building  materials.  Reach- 
ing the  khan,  we  found  our  companion  J.  in  vain  attempting 
to  explain  to  half  a  dozen  boys,  who  were  offering  him  a  hand- 
ful of  old  coins,  that  he  wanted  none  of  their  treasures.  We 
satisfied  them  by  buying  one  or  two ;  but  I  set  more  value 
upon  a  small  copper  piece  that  I  had  myself  picked  up  on  the 
site  of  the  neighboring  ruined  city.  Our  khan  was  excellent. 
I  am  not  sure  t'hat  it  possessed  a  single  window-sash ;  but  it 
was  spacious.  The  whole  house,  some  fifty  feet  long,  con- 
sisted of  one  large  room,  and  was  provided  with  a  plank  floor. 
We  occupied  one  end  of  it,  and  made  no  inquiries  as  to  those 
who  ensconced  themselves  in  the  other,  after  once  putting  an 
interdict  upon  all  smoking  and  boisterous  merriment,  prolonged 
far  into  the  night. 

We  were  late  in  getting  under  way  the  next  morning.  The 
hamlet  where  we  lodged  is  merely  a  summer  Aillage  belong- 
ing to  a  place  a  few  miles  distant  named  Maza,  and,  I  pre- 
sume, is  abandoned  in  winter.  It  stands  on  a  small  emi- 
nence in  a  very  picturesque  mountain  valley,  bounded  toward 
the  northeast  by  Mount  Khelmos.  We  were  still  in  Arcadia ; 
and  this  morning  as  we  rode,  I  heard  for  the  first  time  the 
shepherds  on  the  mountain  sides  playing  on  their  pipes  to  col- 
lect their  flocks  about  them.  In  the  fields  the  farmers  were 
just  commencing  to  plough,  and  for  this  purpose  employed 
the  same  rude  instrument  that  is  in  common  use  throughout 
the  East.     This  agricultural  implement,  which  some,  with  a 


2ii  -      PHIGALEA,    01.Y31PIA,   AND    ARCADIA. 

certain  show  of  plausibility,  maintain  has  undergone  no  im- 
provement since  the  days  of  good  old  Homer,  consists  of  a 
long  pole  with  an  iron  point  that  serves  as  a  coulter,  while 
two  bent  boards  on  the  sides  represent  the  share.  The  labor 
of  ploughing,  which  is  done  with  oxen  or  cows,  is  not  severe, 
as  the  plough  merely  scratches  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  three 
or  four  inches. 

Our  monotonous  rides  are  now  and  then  diversified  by  the 
wranglings  of  the  agoyates,  or  hostlers.  Evidently  our  guide 
is  no  great  favorite  with  them,  as  he  has  no  manner  of  pa- 
tience with  their  stupid  blunderings  or  indolence.  If  they 
loiter  on  the  way  when  separated  from  us,  or  are  unnecessari- 
ly long  in  saddling  and  lading  the  horses,  he  shows  his  dis- 
pleasure by  such  a  volley  of  oaths  as  quite  disconcerts  the 
poor  fellows.  One  of  them,  Athanasius  by  name,  came  to 
me  and  declared  he  never  would  travel  again  with  Nicholas 
as  long  as  he  lived.  The  guide  had  been  making  use  of  a  fa- 
vorite oath  of  his,  in  which  he  wished  that  his  Satanic  majes- 
ty might  take,  not  only  him,  but  his  father  and  his  mother, 
including  in  the  same  category  such  of  his  more  distant  rela- 
tives as  he  went  on  to  specify.  No  wonder  that  the  agoyates 
felt  aggrieved.  As  a  genei'al  thing,  however,  the  oaths  em- 
ployed by  the  Greeks  are  not  by  any  means  so  shocking  as 
those  blasphemous  expressions  that  greet  our  ears  at  every 
turn  in  America  and  England.  In  asseverations,  too,  the  name 
of  the  Virgin  or  some  one  of  the  saints  is  commonly  substi- 
tuted for  that  of  the  Deity. 

It  took  us  a  couple  of  hours  to  reach  the  eastern  end  of  the 
valley,  where  the  celebrated  Icatavothron,  or  chasm,  is  situated, 
through  which  the  waters  of  Lake  Phonia,  after  having  dis- 
appeared in  a  similar  cavernous  outlet,  reappear  as  the  princi- 
pal source  of  the  River  Ladon.  These  form  a  small  sheet  of 
watei",  thirty  or  forty  feet  across,  and  of  unknown  depth  in 
the  middle,  where  the  water  comes  up  rapidly.  As  the  sur- 
face, however,  is  placid,  the  appearance  of  this  katavothron  is 
altogether  dissimilar  to  that  of  the  Erasinus,  the  outlet  of  the 
neighboring  Lake  Stymphalus,  which  we  saw  near  Argos. 

At  the  end  of  three  hours  and  a  half  of  slow  traveling  we 
commenced  the  ascent  of  the  pass  toward  the  Lake  of  Phonia, 


OUTLET    OF    LAKE    PHENECS.  215 

from  the  village  of  Lycouria.  The  sides  of  Mount  Saita  -were 
steep,  and  covered  with  a  gro^snh  of  pine-trees ;  but  from  the 
highest  portion  of  our  path  we  were  rewarded  with  a  mag- 
nificent ^-iew  of  the  lake.  This  quiet  sheet  of  water  Is  about 
five  miles  long,  and  oval  in  its  general  shape,  making,  how- 
ever, a  considerable  bay  upon  the  west.  On  every  side  the 
lake  is  surrounded  by  high  mountains  cutting  off  all  egress. 
Should  the  subterranean  passages  become  entirely  choked  up, 
the  waters  would  accimiulate  vrntU  they  obtained  sufficient 
force  to  break  through,  or  attained  the  height  of  a  pass  oppo- 
site to  that  on  which  we  now  stood,  and  which,  I  believe,  is 
the  lowest  point  in  the  entire  circuit  of  the  mountains.  In 
other  words,  thev  would  have  to  rise  over  nine  hundred  feet 
before  they  would  overflow  this  vast  natural  basin.  The  pres- 
ent surface  of  the  lake  is  about  twenty-two  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  The  effect  of  this  alpine  scenery,  and  of 
the  brilliant  glassy  surface  of  the  water  lighted  up  by  the  sun, 
was  exceedingly  striking,  and  contrasted  favorably  with  the 
ordinary  mountain  landscapes  in  the  midst  of  which  we  had 
been  traveling. 

During  our  descent  toward  the  lake,  the  straggling  clouds 
gradually  collected  on  the  mountain  tops,  and  soon  enveloped 
their  sides.  The  moment  we  reached  the  water  s  edge,  a  most 
violent  rain  commenced,  for  which  we  were  quite  unprepared. 
Coverings  were  hastily  thrown  over  the  luggage,  the  agoyates 
drew  themselves  within  their  heavy  capotas,  and  H.  threw 
around  him  an  impervious  Scotch  plaid.  But  our  umbrellas 
furnished  the  rest  of  us  little  shelter,  and  the  horses  could  not 
be  induced  to  lace  the  pelting  storm.  The  rain,  however,  was 
as  transient  as  it  was  heavy,  and  we  soon  proceeded  along  the 
margin  of  the  lake  toward  the  village  of  Phonia,  over  a  ledge 
of  rocks  full  of  cracks  and  seams,  which  rendered  it  difficult 
even  for  a  pedestrian  to  traverse  it.  Nicholas  being  behind, 
H.  led  the  way,  and,  by  some  mischance,  strayed  from  the 
path,  rmtil  at  length,  urging  his  horse  to  mount  a  very  high 
rock,  the  animal  put  one  of  his  feet  into  a  hole,  from  which 
he  was  unable  to  -nnthdraw  it.  The  horse  struggled  to  get 
free,  and  must  infallibly  have  broken  his  leg.  had  not  H.  held 
him  near  the  feet,  while  I  caught  him  by  the  head  and  pre- 


216  PHIGALEA,   0LY3UnA,   AND    AliCADlA. 

vented  his  rising.  It  was  some  minutes  before  the  rest  of  the 
party  came  up,  and  after  the  horse  had  made  several  ineffect- 
ual struggles,  which  we  had  great  trouble  in  subduing,  they 
succeeded  in  extricating  the  unlucky  foot.  On  regaining  the 
path,  we  proceeded  toward  the  village  of  Phonia,  near  which 
we  turned  aside  through  the  fields  to  view  the  site  of  the  an- 
cient city  of  Pheneus.  It  is  a  peninsula,  connected  with  the 
main  land  by  a  narrow  isthmus,  much  resembling  that  of  Epi- 
daurus.  A  conical  hill  occupies  the  northern  part,  with  re- 
mains of  polygonal  walls  around  the  base.  From  the  top  the 
prospect  was  pleasing,  and  the  snoAvy  cap  of  Mount  Cyllene, 
to  the  northeast,  formed  the  most  characteristic  object. 

"VVe  climbed  up  to  the  village,  perched  in  a  much  higher 
situation,  on  the  side  and  top  of  a  hill,  whence,  after  a  slight 
lunch,  we  rode  on  for  three-fourths  of  an  hour  to  the  Monas- 
tery of  St.  George,  our  quarters  for  the  night.  At  the  mo- 
ment we  entered,  the  few  inmates  were  engaged  in  their  after- 
noon devotions.  Presently,  however,  their  monotonous  tones 
died  away,  and  a  fine  old  man  came  to  greet  us.  The  mon- 
astery was  a  large  one,  but  not  in  very  good  repair.  We  were 
conducted  to  an  upper  chamber  opening  upon  one  of  the  gal- 
leries that  ran  around  the  court.  The  I'oom  was  destitute  of 
chairs;  a  carpet  had  been  spread  before  the  capacious  fire- 
place, and  there  were  a  number  of  Turkish  cushions  for  us  to 
recline  upon.  We  were  more  in  want  of  a  good  fire  to  dry 
ourselves  by  than  any  thing  else.  Our  monk  soon  had  it  kin- 
dled on  the  hearth,  and  we  disposed  ourselves  to  spend  the 
hour,  until  our  dinner  should  be  ready,  in  chatting  with  our 
host. 

As  he  himself  informed  me,  our  worthy  friend  was  seventy- 
four  or  five  years  old,  and  had  resided  here  ever  since  the  age 
of  ten.  Clad  in  the  ordinary  monastic  costume,  with  a  black 
robe  reaching  to  his  feet,  and  a  black  cap  on  his  head,  he 
presented,  with  his  long  white  hair  and  beard,  altogether 
a  patriarchal  appearance.  The  monastery,  he  said,  contained 
but  twenty  monks,  besides  ten  novices;  and  he  complained 
that  it  had  been  sadly  impoverished  of  late.  Its  only  proper- 
ty consists  of  lands,  some  of  them  bordering  on  the  lake,  a 
great  part  of  which  have  been  for  years  submerged.     The 


MONASTERY    OF    PHONIA.  217 

three  small  channels  through  which  the  lake  once  found  an 
outlet  have  been  periodically  choked  with  sand,  wood,  stone, 
and  other  materials.  All  efforts  to  clear  them  have  failed,  but 
the  lake  has  ceased  rising  for  the  present.  The  monk  says 
that  there  has  been  a  sort  of  fatality  about  the  matter.  The 
very  year  that  the  Kevolution  commenced  in  Greece  (1821) 
the  waters  began  rising,  and  continued  to  do  so  until  the  com- 
ing of  King  Otho,  when  there  ensued  five  years  of  prosperity.* 
The  southern  end  of  the  lake  is  the  deepest.  Altogether  the 
old  man  was  very  much  inclined  to  repine  at  the  dispensations 
of  Providence,  which,  he  said,  had  reduced  the  monastery  to 
such  straits  as  to  render  it  too  poor  even  to  suppoit  an  abbot. 

*  That  faithful  chronicler,  Pausanias,  assures  us  that  of  old  the  wa- 
ters rose  to  such  a  height  that  they  inundated  the  city  of  Pheneus,  and 
that  marks  of  the  point  they  reached  still  remained  on  the  sides  of  the 
mountains.  The  inhabitants  attributed  the  construction  of  the  subter- 
ranean canal  to  that  convenient  workman,  Hercules,  who  had  freed  the 
neighboring  Lake  of  Stymphalus  from  its  horrid  birds. 

K 


BUINS   OF   TIJE   TK.MI'LE   OF  JLl'lTEE  AT   OLYMPIA. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

STYX— MEGASPELION— VOSTITZA. 

The  rain  was  falling  without  intermission  when  we  rose 
on  the  morrow,  and  it  seemed  quite  useless  to  undertake  to 
proceed  on  our  journey.  Meanwhile,  our  friend  the  monk 
insisted  on  showing  us  the  chapel,  or  church,  standing  quite 
detached  from  the  rest  of  the  buildings.  It  was  one  of  the 
neatest  in  Greece;  and  the  fresco  paintings  upon  the  walls, 
though  executed  in  the  last  century,  were  still  brilliant  and 
pleasing.  Our  admiration  was  most  excited  by  the  sight  of 
the  shrine  separating  the  holy  place,  where  stands  the  "sacred 
table"  (the  Greeks  do  not  call  it  an  altar),  from  the  body  of 
the  church.  It  was  of  gilt  wood  very  highly  ornamented  and 
carved,  and  said  by  the  monks  to  be  the  richest  work  of  the 
kind  in  the  country.*  The  conversation  turning  upon  the 
priesthood,  I  elicited  my  cicerone's  sentiments  as  to  educa- 
tion. "  Young  priests,"  said  he,  "  rarely  go  to  the  Univers- 
ity to  study.     There  are  schools  at  Nauplia  and  some  other 


*  From  an  inscription,  it  appears  that  the  monastery  was  founded  in 
a  valley  midway  between  its  present  site  and  Phonia  in  the  year  1334, 
and  was  removed  thence  on  occasion  of  a  great  overflow  of  the  lake. 
The  church  was  built  in  1754:  or  1768,  I  forget  which.  There  are  but 
few  books  in  the  establishment,  and  no  regular  library. 


VILLAGE    OF    SOLOS.  219 

places,  where  they  can  obtain  quite  as  much  learning  as  they 
will  need,  and  it  is  found  advisable  to  give  them  no  more. 
Philosophy  atheizes  them ;  and  by  the  time  they  have  com- 
pleted their  academic  course,  they  are  but  too  ready  to  aban- 
don the  sacred  office." 

Before  long  the  rain  held  up,  and  we  thought  that  we  might 
with  prudence  venture  out.  We  had  wished  to  reward  our 
attentive  monk  for  his  kindness,  besides  the  remuneration  given 
to  the  monastery  for  our  entertainment.  Out  of  motives  of 
delicacy,  my  companions  had  insisted  on  giving  it  to  him 
under  the  form  of  a  contribution  to  the  church  he  had  been 
showing  us.  Just  as  we  were  leaving  the  gate,  we  were  wit- 
ness to  an  animated  discussion  between  him  and  our  Nich- 
olas, from  whom  he  was  endeavoring  to  extort  payment  for 
some  fire-wood.  When  he  was  told  that  we  had  already 
much  more  than  canceled  that  score,  he  aveiTed  he  could 
never  think  of  touching  a  "lepton"  of  our  donation,  which 
must  be  strictly  applied  to  sacred  purposes. 

It  was  out  of  the  question  for  us  to  reach  Calavryta  that 
day.  The  best  we  could  do  was  to  make  a  short  advance, 
and  spend  the  night  at  the  village  of  Solos.  On  our  way,  wc 
enjoyed  for  a  time  a  clear  view  of  Mount  Ivhelmos  on  the 
left,  and  of  Cyllene,  or  Zyria,  on  the  right,  both  of  them 
thickly  covered  with  recent  snow.  But  the  clouds  were  not 
long  in  collecting  about  the  mountain  tops,  whence  they  rap- 
idly descended  and  deluged  us  with  rain.  Altogether,  we  had 
a  dismal  afternoon  of  it.  We  were  glad  when,  after  passing 
the  villages  of  St.  Barbara  and  Zaroukla,  we  turned  into  a 
branch  of  the  same  valley,  and  entered  one  of  three  or  four 
villages  picturesquely  perched  on  its  sides.  The  small  stream 
running  through  it  is  supplied  by  the  Styx.  We  wandered 
through  Solos  for  some  time  in  quest  of  accommodation  for 
the  night,  and,  finding  no  suitable  house,  were  quite  at  a  loss 
what  to  do.  Just  at  that  moment,  an  officer  of  the  army  is- 
sued from  his  door  close  by,  and,  as  soon  as  he  heard  there 
were  some  strangers  hunting  for  quarters,  pressed  us  with 
much  cordiality  to  make  our  stay  with  him.  His  house  was 
by  fai-  the  best  in  the  place.  Our  portable  tables,  beds,  and 
chairs,  were  not  put  in  requisition  for  the  night,  and  we  were 


220  STYX IMEUASPELIOX VOSTITZA. 

favored  with  the  presence  of  our  host  and  a  nephew  of  his  at 
meal-time.  The  young  man  was  able  to  give  us  important 
information  respecting  the  condition  and  history  of  this  dis- 
trict. He  prided  himself  not  a  little  upon  the  patriotic  exploits 
of  his  father,  whose  name  he  pointed  out  to  me  in  a  recently- 
l)ublished  work  of  Speliades  on  the  Greek  Revolution.  Nich- 
(jlas  X.  Soliotes  was  one  of  the  original  conspirators,  to  whose 
vigorous  plans  and  no  less  energetic  execution  of  them,  the 
successful  outbreak  of  popular  vengeance  was  in  great  meas- 
ure due.  As  soon  as  it  Avas  agi-eed  to  commence  the  mo- 
mentous struggle,  he  was  the  first  to  draw  his  sword  from  the 
scabbard  and  fall  upon  the  unsuspecting  Turks.  The  first 
man  slain  in  the  Revolution  fell  under  his  hands ;  and  he  had 
increased  the  number  of  his  victims  to  eleven  before  many 
days  elapsed.  When  he  rose  to  leave,  our  young  friend  in- 
vited us  to  pay  him  a  visit  at  his  own  house ;  but,  besides  the 
fatigue  we  experienced,  we  were  scarcely  in  trim  for  an  even- 
ing call.  Subsequently,  our  guide  warmly  censured  us  for  de- 
clining ;  and  assured  us  that  we  had  missed  a  capital  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  several  very  pretty  Greek  girls,  the  daughters 
of  the  revolutionary  hero. 

I  was  much  struck  with  the  simplicity  of  the  lamps  in  or- 
dinaiy  use.  The  shape  has  scarcely  varied  from  remote  an- 
tiquity ;  if  any  thing,  it  is  even  more  simple  than  formerly. 
One  that  I  noticed  here  consisted  of  a  small,  oval  tin  saucer, 
with  a  short  spout  at  one  end.  On  this  the  wick  rested,  the 
greater  part  being  coiled  in  the  bottom  of  the  saucer,  which 
was  half  full  of  oil.  At  the  other  end,  an  upright  strip  of  tin, 
bent  above,  served  as  a  handle  and  support.  This  sort  of 
lamp  may  be  seen  in  almost  every  shop,  except  where  a  still 
more  primitive  method  is  resorted  to.  Li  the  shoemakers' 
stalls,  torches  or  tar  lights  are  employed.  No  whale-oil  is  to 
be  found  in  the  kingdom.  Olive-oil  is  universally  burned  in 
the  lamps. 

Our  baggage  left  early  in  the  morning  for  Calavi*yta  by  the 
direct  route.  We  hired  a  guide  to  conduct  us  to  the  cele- 
lirated  fall  of  the  Styx;  for  Nicholas  did  not  feel  sufficiently 
f.imiliar  with  the  way  to  lead  us  thither.  We  followed  up 
(!:!>  same  ravine  in  which  Solos  is  situated,  keeping  far  abovo 


THE    KIVER    STYX.  221 

its  bottom,  until  we  reached  the  foot  of  Mount  Khelmos. 
The  path  generally  ran  on  a  ledge  of  earth  that  threatened 
every  moment  to  give  way  under  our  feet.  Our  guide,  a 
peasant  from  the  valley,  who  should  certainly  have  been  ac- 
customed to  tramping  through  the  snow,  wished  to  lead  us 
along  an  easy  path,  by  which  we  could  advance  but  a  short 
distance,  and  then  gain  only  a  distant  view  of  the  Styx.  He 
assured  us  most  vehemently  that  the  other  road  was  quite 
impassable  on  account  of  the  snow.  The  truth  was,  that,  in 
consequence  of  the  recent  violent  storms,  it  was  difficult  to 
get  up  high  on  the  mountains,  whose  summits  were  covered 
with  fresh  and  deep  drifts.  We  insisted,  however,  on  trying 
the  more  difficult  path  leading  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Styx, 
whose  fall  is  visible  from  below.  After  traversing  a  rugged 
tract,  and  surmounting  the  rocky  hills  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  we  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  mountain  itself. 
Leaving  our  horses,  we  proceeded  about  an  hour,  crossed  sev- 
eral beds  of  snow  of  limited  extent,  and  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing a  spot  whence  we  could  gain  an  excellent  view  of  the 
stream.  Any  nearer  approach  would  have  been  exceedingly 
difficult  at  this  season  of  the  year,  even  had  we  possessed  a 
guide  worthy  of  the  name  of  a  mountaineer. 

The  far-famed  "  Kiver  Styx"  is  composed  of  two  rills  of 
water  springing  fi'om  the  melting  snows  on  the  topmost  level 
of  Mount  Khelmos,  a  few  feet  from  each  other.  They  run 
but  a  short  distance  before  coming  to  the  verge  of  a  frightful 
precipice  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  over  whose  perpen- 
dicular face  they  leap  at  one  bound  into  the  chasm  below. 
The  amount  of  water  they  contain  is  very  small,  and  long  be- 
fore they  reach  the  ground  they  are  transformed,  as  it  were, 
into  a  thin  spray  by  the  resistance  of  the  atmosphere.  The 
cascade  is  surpassed  in  point  of  height  and  volume  by  many 
waterfalls  in  Switzerland ;  but  various  circumstances  have 
combined  to  give  it,  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  the 
reputation  of  possessing  supernatural  qualities.  The  locality 
is  wild  and  secluded,  far  from  the  dwellings  of  men.  From 
the  valley  an  indistinct  view  of  it  can  be  gained  at  one  or  two 
points  only ;  its  base,  if  accessible  at  all,  is  quite  out  of  reach 
during  three-fourths  of  the  year,  and  the  springs  are  covered 


1'22  6TiX .AIEG  ASPELION VOSTITZA . 

with  snow  during  an  equal  period,  while  the  water  at  all  sea- 
sons is  of  an  icy  coldness.  The  latter  circumstance  gave  rise 
to  the  opinion  that  the  water  of  the  Styx  was  so  deadly,  not 
only  that  no  man  could  drink  it  with  impunity,  but  that  even 
upon  inorganic  substances  its  influence  was  no  less  potent. 
It  was  imagined  to  be  an  almost  universal  solvent.  "  Vessels, 
whether  of  glass  or  crystal,  or  murrhine,  or  of  earth,  or  of 
stone,  are  broken  by  this  water,"  says  Pausanias ;  "and  ves- 
sels of  horn,  bone,  iron,  brass,  lead,  tin,  silver,  amber,  and 
even  of  gold,  are  dissolved  by  it.  But  it  can  not  injure  the 
hoof  of  the  horse :  this  material  alone  is  not  destroyed  by  the 
water."  "It  Avas  natural  enough  that  some  difference  of 
opinion  should  prevail  as  to  the  substance  which  had  the  vir- 
tue of  resisting  this  terrible  fluid,"  Colonel  Leake  remarks, 
"seeing  that  most  certainly  the  experiment  had  never  been 
fairly  made.  Plutarch  gives  his  testimony  in  favor  of  the 
hoof  of  the  ass.  According  to  Pliny,  it  was  the  hoof  of  a  fe- 
male mule.  Yitruvius  seems  to  admit  that  of  a  mule  of  either 
gender.  By  Theophrastus  the  virtue  was  confined  to  vessels 
of  horn,  in  which  he  is  supported  by  another  ancient  author. 
It  would  appear,  however,  from  Philo  of  Heraclea,  ^lian,  and 
the  epigram  at  Delphi,  that  even  among  horns  there  was  but 
one  kind  capable  of  resisting  the  Stygian  Avater,  and  that  was 
not  very  easily  procured,  being  the  horn  of  a  Scythian  ass.'"* 

Some  said  that  Alexander  the  Great  was  poisoned  by  means 
of  the  deadly  water ;  but  on  this  score  the  ancient  world  was 
not  unanimous.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  most  singular  circum- 
stance of  all,  that  the  old  superstition  has  survived  all  the 
changes  of  dynasties,  and  the  wars  and  immigrations  that 
have  metamorphosed  the  aspect  of  society.  Even  our  guide 
was  unwilling  to  imitate  our  example,  and  drink  of  the  perni- 
cious stream.  It  is  now  called  the  Black  Water,  or  Mavro- 
nero.  Lower  down,  after  its  junction,  the  water  is  esteemed 
innocuous  enough,  and,  indeed,  it  differs  in  no  respect  from 
the  surrounding  streams  in  taste  or  color. 

Our  peasant  guide  told  us  that  during  the  Revolution,  when 
the  Turks  invaded  this  district,  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages 
took  refuge  here  in  large  numbers  on  the  rocks  below  the 
*  Travels  in  the  Morea,  iii.,  p.  164. 


CALAVlaTA.  223 

Styx,  and  were  pursued  a  part  of  the  way  by  the  Turks.  Of 
these  refugees,  three  hundred,  he  said,  lost  their  lives  by  be- 
ing precipitated  from  the  lofty  and  difficult  rocks,  to  whose 
intricacies  they  Avere  unaccustomed.  The  same  statement 
was  corroborated  by  another  person;  but  precisely  how  muc] 
faith  is  to  be  attached  to  either  the  ftict  or  the  numbers,  wc 
were  unable  to  determine. 

"VVe  descended  from  the  Styx,  and,  after  rejoining  Nicholas, 
dismissed  our  mountain  guide,  who  readily  confessed  that  he 
had  told  us  that  the  path  we  had  followed  was  impracticable 
only  in  order  to  spare  himself  a  little  fatigue.  A  new  ascent 
awaited  us  in  crossing  one  of  the  spurs  of  Mount  Khelmos, 
which  intervenes  between  this  valley  and  the  town  of  Cala- 
vryta.  On  the  summit  we  came  upon  a  high  plateau,  some 
4000  to  4500  feet,  I  should  judge,  above  the  sea's  level,  where 
the  snow  lay  scattered  about  in  patches.  On  the  uncovered 
spots  a  number  of  men  were  to  be  seen  ploughing  and  prepar- 
ing the  ground  for  sowing  wheat  or  barley,  while  the  crocuses 
and  a  few  other  of  the  early  spring  plants  were  in  full  bloom 
on  the  very  margin  of  the  melting  snow-banks.  A  few  min- 
utes' ride  brought  us  in  sight  of  Rumeli,  or  Northern  Greece, 
with  its  long  line  of  mountains  retreating  from  Helicon  and 
Parnassus,  till,  toward  Patras  on  the  west,  it  seemed  to  min- 
gle with  the  heights  of  Peloponnesus.  Before  it  lay  extended 
the  narrow  Gulf  of  Corinth,  without  a  sail  to  give  its  blue 
waters  the  appearance  of  life  and  activity.  Behind  us  there 
was  a  confused  mass  of  mountains  and  hills,  among  which  a 
small  lake  lay  embosomed. 

After  a  long  descent,  we  reached  the  tOA\Ti  of  Calavryta, 
the  largest  place  in  these  parts,  most  interesting  from  the  fact 
that  here  the  first  steps  were  taken  to  excite  the  outbi"eak  of 
the  late  Revolution.  The  events  of  that  contest  are  yet  too 
recent  in  date  to  be  invested  with  a  romantic  interest :  the 
heroes  who  figured  in  it  have  not  wholly  passed  off  from  the 
scene  of  contemporary  history ;  and  their  actions,  viewed  too 
much  in  the  mere  connection  of  the  events  to  which  they  nat- 
urally stand  related  in  point  of  time,  and  too  little  in  refer- 
ence to  the  great  results  not  yet  terminated  to  which  they 
conduced,  have  not  yet  been  fully  appreciated.     Fifty  years 


224  STYX MEGASPELION VOSTirZA 

hence  the  world  will  do  honor  to  the  patriotism  and  self-sac- 
rifice of  the  Greek  revolutionary  soldier ;  and  travelers  will 
make  pilgrimages  to  the  sites  of  the  more  illustrious  conflicts 
between  Christian  and  Infidel.  On  our  way  down  the  mount- 
ain, our  guide  had  pointed  out  to  us  in  the  distance  a  large 
edifice  about  a  couple  of  miles  southward  of  Calavryta  as  the 
Monastery  of  St.  Laura,  where  the  plan  of  revolt  already  con- 
cocted at  Patras  was  fully  perfected  by  the  original  conspira- 
tors, who,  headed  by  the  archbishop  of  that  city,  had  gone 
thither,  upon  the  pretext  of  a  journey  to  Tripoli tza,  to  escape 
the  narrow  inspection  to  which  the  presence  of  the  Turks 
subjected  them.  From  this  place,  when  the  plot  was  quite 
ripe  for  execution,  letters  were  sent  throughout  the  breadth 
of  the  land  to  apprize  all  the  patriots  of  the  design. 

Calavryta  is  quite  an  ordinary  town,  though  better  built 
than  most  of  the  interior  places.  The  plain,  some  three  or 
four  miles  long  by  three  quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  is  fertile  and 
well  watered.  Somewhere  upon  it  stood  the  ancient  city  of 
Cynastha.  On  arriving,  we  found  that  our  baggage  had  gone 
on  toward  the  monastery  of  Megaspelion ;  but  our  horses 
were  considerably  jaded,  and  we  were  tired,  and  hungry 
enough  to  enjoy  a  lunch  during  the  three  quarters  of  an  hour 
we  staid  at  Calavryta.  "WTiat  time  remained  was  profitably 
employed  in  making  purchases  of  various  articles,  such  as  the 
more  respectable  shops  were  possessed  of,  and  in  replenishing 
J.'s  tobacco-pouch,  which  had  not  been  proof  against  the 
heavy  drafts  made  upon  it  while  we  were  traveling  in  the 
back  districts  of  Arcadia.  The  streets,  or  rather  lanes,  are 
rarely  more  than  a  dozen  feet  wide ;  and  the  small  shops,  en- 
tirely destitute  of  windows,  are  thrown  quite  open  to  the 
street.  A  wide  counter  occupies  almost  the  whole  breadth 
of  the  front,  upon  which  the  greater  part  of  the  commodities 
are  exposed  for  sale.  Cobblers  and  tin-smiths  alike  sit  cross- 
legged  upon  them,  with  their  tools  and  wares  by  their  sides. 
Thus  situated,  they  keep  a  sharp  look-out  on  every  one  that 
passes,  and  can  gossip  as  much  as  they  please  with  theu* 
neighbors. 

Our  presence  among  them  aroused  the  curiosity  of  the  talk- 
ative townsmen.     Perhaps  our  laying  in  a  store  of  straw  hats, 


MONASTERY    OK    MEGASf ELION.  22"j 

and  of  the  Indian  weed,  augmented  it.  At  any  rate,  a  knot 
of  idlers  soon  gathered  about  us  while  we  were  lounging 
around  the  khan  waiting  for  our  horses.  They  seemed  de- 
termined to  find  out  all  they  could  about  our  destination,  anrl 
we  had  as  firmly  made  up  our  minds  not  to  gratify  them.  A 
young  fellow  from  the  Ionian  Isles  accosted  H.  in  Italian,  and 
soon  contrived  to  inquire  whether  "  their  excellencies  were 
bound  to  Patras ;"  to  which  H.  replied,  that,  though  not  im- 
possible, it  was  yet  doubtful  whether  we  would  go  to  that 
place.  The  questioner  then  mentioned  a  number  of  other 
towns  to  Avhich  he  might  suppose  us  e7i  route;  but,  as  the  an- 
swers were  somewhat  enigmatical,  he  gained  very  little  light 
in  his  search  for  information.  Somewhat  nettled  at  his  poor 
success  in  eliciting  that  where^\^th  to  satisfy  his  companions" 
curiosity,  we  heard  him  suggesting  to  them  in  Greek,  as  thej- 
beat  a  retreat,  that  most  likely  we  wei*e  traveling  without 
passports ;  but,  whether  our  appearance  did  not  justify  them 
in  setting  us  down  as  Hefts  or  smugglers,  or  they  did  not  care 
to  make  the  inquiry,  that  was  the  last  we  heard  of  the  matter. 
From  Calavryta  we  had  before  us  a  two  hours'  ride  to  Me- 
gaspelion,  along  the  pleasant  banks  of  the  small  river  Burai- 
cus,  winding  through  a  narrow  valley  toward  the  Corinthian 
Gulf.  The  monastery  is  by  far  the  greatest,  richest,  and  most 
famous  in  Greece  proper.  Imagine  a  vast  cavern  upward  of 
a  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  much  wider,  as  the  niche  in 
which  this  cm'ious  establishment  is  situated,  and  this  on  the 
steep  side  of  a  mountain  at  a  considerable  distance  above  the 
ravine.  The  approach  is  along  the  hill-side  by  a  path  wind- 
ing gradually  toward  it,  and  which  might  easily  be  defended 
against  a  host  of  invaders.  The  steep  land-slopes  are  culti- 
vated in  front  of  it  in  a  succession  of  terraces,  each  present- 
ing the  appearance  of  a  garden.  As  we  drew  near  the  build- 
ing, there  could  be  nothing  more  singular  than  its  appearance. 
A  single  wall,  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  long,  and  seventy 
cr  eighty  high,  closes  up  the  lower  part  of  the  cave's  aper- 
ture. It  is  no  less  than  twelve  feet  thick,  and  offers  little 
hope  to  the  assailant  of  his  being  able  to  force  his  way  within. 
Above,  it  is  pierced  with  windows,  and  surmounted  by  seven 
or  eight  wooden  houses  of  curious  and  diverse  aspect,  built 

K2 


22G 


STYX MKGASPELION VOSTITZA. 


more  or  less  lofty,  according  to  the  irregularities  of  the  cave's 
mouth,  and  leaning  against  the  almost  perpendicular  rock  that 
towers  three  or  four  hundred  feet  aloft.  The  light  materials 
of  which  they  are  constructed  contrast  singularly  wdth  the 
massive  proportions  of  the  wall  that  supports  them,  and  from 
which  they  project  considerably  in  different  places  with  stair- 
cases and  covered  galleries  sustained  by  props. 


MONASTERY   OF  lIEGASrELION. 


We  rode  around  to  the  solitary  portal  situated  at  the  south- 
ern end  of  the  great  wall ;  and  here  dismounting,  we  were 
welcomed  by  a  number  of  monks,  who  were  seated  on  a  cir- 
cular seat  at  the  door,  enjoying  the  shade  and  the  evening 
breeze.  Oriental  custom  required  us  to  sit  down  and  con- 
verse with  them  before  entering  the  monastery,  to  which  they 
welcomed  us  with  much  apparent  cordiality.  It  devolved  on 
me,  as  spokesman,  to  give  the  chief  dignitaries  some  explana- 
tion of  the  nature  of  our  tour,  and  to  answer  whatever  inter- 
rogatories their  curiosity  might  prompt  them  to  make.  As 
usual,  these  related  principally  to  the  affairs  of  the  capital, 
but  more  especially  to  any  new  phase  which  the  question  of 
the  possession  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem  had  as- 
sumed since  the  last  advices.  As  it  AA'as  between  two  and 
three  weeks  since  we  had  left  Athens,  we  could  give  them 
little  information  that  was  new.  H.  had  visited  Megaspe- 
lion,  when  cruising  in  the  Mediterranean  in  his  own  yacht,  a 


MOXASTEKY    OK    SIE(4ASPEU(JN.  227 

couple  of  years  since ;  but  such  is  the  number  of  strangers 
who  from  time  to  time  come  here  to  pass  a  night,  that,  nat- 
urally enough,  the  monks  did  not  remember  him.  Profiting 
by  a  pause  in  the  conversation,  we  excused  ourselves  on  the 
ground  of  our  day's  travel,  and  betook  ourselves  to  the  room 
prepared  for  our  reception,  in  one  of  those  singular  overhang- 
ing houses  that  crown  the  monastery  wall.  It  seemed  to  be 
the  best  guest-chamber  in  the  edifice.  We  were  assured  that 
Ave  were  but  following  in  the  footsteps  of  royalty,  King  Otho 
and  Queen  Amelia  being  uniformly  entertained  in  this  room 
whenever  they  come  hither. 

In  the  morning  we  were  conducted  through  the  building. 
The  church,  of  course,  was  the  part  that  the  monks  took  most 
delight  in  exhibiting.  Croziers  and  crosses,  curiously  carved, 
with  other  articles  of  solid  silver,  were  proudly  and  admiring- 
ly displayed.  But  it  was  the  holy  "  eikon,"  or  picture  of  the 
Virgin,  made,  as  we  were  informed,  by  the  hands  of  St.  Luke 
himself,  and  discovered  during  the  Middle  Ages  by  a  princess 
of  imperinl  blood,  for  which  they  expected  the  greatest  vener- 
ation. The  monks  bowed  pi'ofoundly  and  crossed  themselves 
frequently  before  it,  and  reverently  kissed  the  glass  with  which 
it  is  protected  from  the  too  rude  salutations  of  the  vulgar. 
This  ugly  portrait  is,  in  fact,  a  bas-relief  of  poor  execution, 
on  a  blackish  wood,  and  does  Uttle  credit  to  the  skill  of  its 
reputed  author.  If  authentic,  it  would  seem  to  prove  that 
St.  Luke,  besides  being  a  wretched  dauber,  was  a  very  infe- 
rior sculptor.  Fortunately  for  the  artistic  reputation  of  the 
saint,  there  are  tokens  of  its  being  a  product  of  mediaeval 
times,  as  evident  as  are  to  be  found  in  any  portrait  ascribed 
to  the  same  source  in  the  Italian  churches.  The  brazen  gates 
of  the  church,  made  at  Jannina  in  Epirus,  some  seventy  or 
eighty  years  ago,  are  of  elaborate  workmanship. 

From  the  church  we  were  conducted,  through  intricate  cor- 
ridors and  dark  stairways,  to  the  kitchens,  the  baking-rooms, 
the  refectory,  and  the  wine-cellars-^-each  department  being 
on  a  scale  commensurate  with  the  size  of  the  monastery  and 
the  number  of  its  inmates.  There  were  a  number  of  large 
casks  of  wine  in  the  cellar,  the  two  largest,  Stamato  and  An- 
gelica^ being  enormous.     Their  exact  capacity  I  can  not  tell; 


:,'28  STYX MEOASPELION VOSTITZA. 

but  the  weight  of  the  wine  they  could  contain  is  estimated  re- 
spectively at  40,000  and  60,000  pounds.*  The  wine  kept  here 
is  all  produced  by  the  vineyards  belonging  to  Megaspelion,  and 
intended  for  home  consumption.  Not  less  than  160,000  or 
170,000  pounds  of  wine  are  drunk  at  the  monastery  in  the 
course  of  the  year.  Most  of  the  revenues  of  the  establish- 
ment are  derived  fi'om  the  sale  of  the  Corinthian  currant, 
about  400,000  pounds  of  which  are  yearly  sold  by  its  agents. 
This  year  the  crop  has  so  signally  failed,  that  the  holy  friars 
are  in  great  trouble  respecting  their  resources. 

The  library  is  contained  in  a  small,  dark  room,  and  is  kept 
perpetually  under  lock  and  key.  There  seemed  to  be  about 
a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred  books  and  bound  manuscripts ; 
but  in  former  times  much  larger  and  more  valuable  collec- 
tions existed  here.  On  two  different  occasions  the  library 
fell  a  prey  to  the  conflagrations  which  reduced  the  monastery 
to  ashes,  notwithstanding  the  tutelar  care  of  the  sacred  image 
of  the  "Panagia"  in  the  chapel.  The  remaining  manuscripts 
are  principally  transcripts  of  the  Greek  liturgical  works  and 
of  the  Gospels,  and  many  of  them  are  beautifully  illuminated, 
after  the  manner  of  the  Middle  Ages.  We  could  not  exam- 
ine the  works  critically  in  the  short  time  at  our  disposal ;  but 
this  had  undoubtedly  been  done  by  others  before  us.  It  is  a 
remarkable  fact,  that  this  small  library  is  probably  the  largest 
collection  of  books  to  be  found  in  any  monastic  institution  in 
Greece;  while  the  number  contained  in  the  monasteries  of 
Mount  Athos,  in  Turkey,  though  much  larger,  is  not  supposed 
to  be  very  considerable.  The  incessant  wars  to  which  this 
fair  but  most  unfortunate  country  has  for  ages  been  subject, 
the  spoliations  of  western  travelers,  and  the  ignorance  and 
carelessness  of  the  inhabitants,  all  combined,  are  scarcely  suffi- 
cient to  account  for  such  a  total  dearth  of  mediaeval  literature. 

We  strolled  through  the  gardens  and  along  the  hill-side  for 
a  fine  view  of  the  monastery,  to  commit  to  paper,  while  the 
"  hieromonachus,"  who  had  been  our  chief  guide,  pointed  out 
to  us  the  elements  of  its  strength,  and  narrated  the  most  strik- 
ing incidents  of  its  histoiy.  In  1770,  during  the  revolt  in 
which  the  Peloponnesians  madly  involved  themselves  by  giv- 
*  16,000  and  24,000  okes. 


DEFEKOK  OF  THE  MONASTEKV.  229 

ing  faith  to  the  lying  promises  of  Russian  emissaries,  the  wary 
monks  stood  aloof,  and,  indeed,  lent  their  aid  to  the  Turkish 
captives,  multitudes  of  whom  they  fed,  lodged,  and  sent  in 
safety  to  their  own  homes  across  the  Corinthian  Gulf.  Thi? 
kindness  proved  the  salvation  of  Megaspelion,  and  was  amply 
rewarded  by  the  protection  extended  to  the  truly  philanthropic 
monks. 

Such  a  course  was  no  longer  practicable  when  the  flames 
of  the  Revolution  of  1821  burst  out,  and  the  conflict  was  a 
struggle,  not  for  mere  political  supremacy,  but  for  national 
and  individual  existence.  The  question  now  to  be  decided, 
was  whether  a  single  Greek  should  be  permitted  to  bi-eathe ; 
for  a  deep  scheme  had  been  laid  by  the  Sultan  and  his  advisers 
to  annihilate  every  vestige  of  the  Hellenic  race,  and  replace  it 
by  a  barbarous  horde  of  Albanians  and  Turks,  that  should 
render  more  implicit  obedience  to  the  Porte's  commands.  It 
was,  consequently,  one  of  the  objects  of  the  Turkish  generals 
to  reduce  this  fortress,  commanding  so  important  a  passage 
between  the  Gulf  and  the  interior.  But  the  monk  pointed 
out  with  pride  the  spot  where  the  intruders  were  met  and 
repulsed  by  the  ''rallecaria,"  or  braves,  collected  by  the 
monastery.  On  a  former  occasion,  we  were  informed,  the 
enemy  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  cliff  overhanging  the 
cave,  Avhence  they  hurled  down  huge  fragments  of  rock,  with 
the  intention  of  overwhelming  the  building ;  but  the  project- 
ing ledges  themselves  protected  it  from  injury.  With  super- 
stitious I'everence  our  guide  directed  attention  to  one  large 
boulder  on  the  verge  of  the  impending  rock,  which  seems  to 
be  just  about  to  fall.  The  invader  had,  with  much  toil,  con- 
veyed it  to  its  present  situation ;  but  the  Virgin,  the  patron 
of  the  monastery,  interposed  her  power,  and  mu'aculously  se- 
cured it  fast  just  as  it  was  about  to  descend. 

There  are  altogether  some  two  hundred  monks  at  present 
in  the  building,  besides  fifty  more  attending  to  the  cultivation 
of  their  farms  in  different  parts  of  the  Morea.  Their  life  is 
an  easy  one,  and  their  accommodations  are  much  supei'ior  to 
those  of  the  common  people,  by  the  sweat  of  whose  brows  they 
live. 

Starting  early  this  morning,  we  took  the  road  for  Vostitza. 


'230  STY  X M  EGA  SPELION \'  (JS'J  ITZ  A . 

At  first  it  led  along  the  small  stream  Buraicus,  but  presently 
diverged  to  the  left.  We  lunched  at  a  solitary  khan  in  full 
view  of  the  mountains  of  Northern  Greece,  and  thence  de- 
scended into  a  narrow  plain  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Cor- 
inth. While  the  baggage  proceeded  at  once  toward  Vostitza, 
we  turned  to  the  right,  and  rode  half  an  hour  or  more,  to  \dsit 
the  Cave  of  Hercules  Buraicus ;  but  it  was  scarcely  worth  our 
trouble.  It  contained  nothing  remarkable,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  some  niches,  which  may  have  been  intended  for  the  re- 
ception of  votive  offerings.  We  had  wandered  some  distance 
from  the  public  road,  and  we  now  took  a  more  direct  course 
across  the  plain,  which  was  partly  overgrown  with  myrtle, 
laurel,  and  oleander.  The  vicinity  of  Vostitza,  however,  is 
admirably  watered,  and  almost  marshy.  It  is  cultivated  chief- 
ly with  thriving  vineyards  of  the  Corinthian  curi'ant,  of  which 
Fatras  is  the  principal  mart.  Vostitza  itself  we  found  to  be 
more  handsome  and  well  built  than  most  Greek  towns  of  its 
size,  and  with  a  population  of  only  a  few  thousands,  possessed 
of  considerable  commerce.  It  is  built  on  the  site  of  ^gium, 
the  most  prominent  city  of  the  famous  Achjean  league.  Its 
ancient  and  modern  pre-eminence  it  owes  to  a  harbor  or  road- 
stead, on  a  coast  where  there  is  a  great  lack  of  safe  anchorage. 
There  ai'e  few  or  no  remains  of  the  ancient  city,  and  the  most 
interesting  object  we  saw  was  a  plane-tree  of  gigantic  propor- 
tions, growing  near  the  water's  edge.* 

We  wished  to  cross  the  Corinthian  Gulf  at  this  place,  and, 
as  soon  as  we  arrived,  empowered  Nicholas  to  make  inquiries 
for  a  suitable  caique  to  transport  us,  with  our  luggage  and 
beasts  of  burden,  to  the  opposite  shore.  He  soon  returned, 
and  reported  that  there  was  but  one  such  boat  in  port,  and 

*  Our  guide  Nicholas  told  me  that  at  a  small  village  called  Pteri,  a 
short  distance  northwest  of  Megaspelion,  on  the  River  Euphrasia,  there 
is  a  much  larger  plane-tree.  It  is  hollow,  and  in  the  cavity  twenty-four 
persons  can  stand  at  once.  This  is  pretty  well  for  a  country  that  has 
suffered  so  generally  from  the  improvident  destruction  of  the  forests. 
The  plane-tree,  or  platanus,  is  the  largest  that  grows  in  these  regions, 
and  is  probably  as  long-lived  as  any.  Thei'e  is  one  upon  the  banks 
of  the  Bosphorus,  near  Constantinople,  which  is  believed  to  have  been 
that  under  which  Godfroi  de  Bouillon  harangued  the  first  Crusaders,  at 
the  close  of  the  eleventh  century  of  our  era. 


BAKGALNING    FOJJ    A    BOAT.  231 

that  the  owner,  having  learned  our  situation,  demanded  the 
sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  drachms.  The  captain  came  to 
see  us  in  person,  and  affirmed  he  would  not  abate  a  jot  from 
the  exorbitant  price  he  asked.  In  reply,  we  offered  him  sev- 
enty drachms,  and  assui-ed  him  that  if  he  refused  that  price 
we  should  go  on  to  Patras,  where  Ave  were  sui'e  of  finding  an 
abundance  of  suitable  boats.  He  left  us  no  less  than  three  or 
four  times,  and  each  time  returned  with  a  lower  offer.  He 
gradually  fell  to  a  hundred  and  twenty-five,  ninety,  eighty, 
and  finally  seventy,  drachms,  and  agreed  to  start  as  soon  as 
we  desired. 


1  - 


INTEKIOB  OF  THE  ACEOPOLIS  OF  CKNOK. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


DELPHI— PARNASSUS— GHJERONEA. 

"Beneath  the  vintage  moon's  uncertain  hght, 

And  some  faint  stars  that  pierced  the  film  of  cloud, 
Stood  those  Parnassian  peaks  before  my  sight, 
Whose  fame  throughout  the  ancient  world  was  loud." 

Delphi,  An  Elegy. 

It  was  late,  however,  before  we  were  fairly  under  way.  The 
chief  cause  of  detention  was  the  difficulty  experienced  in  ship- 
ping our  horses,  which  had  to  be  hoisted  into  the  caique.  To 
this  unpleasant  operation  some  submitted  with  very  good 
grace,  while  others  presented  a  sufficiently  ridiculous  appear- 
ance, by  their  plunges  and  struggles  in  mid  air.  H.  and  I  had 
spent  the  morning  in  bathing  in  the  Gulf,  and  visiting  the  chief 
shops  of  Vostitza. 

At  length  we  started,  with  a  light  but  favorable  breeze, 
heading  almost  directly  eastward  for  Cape  Andromachi.  Had 
it  blown  fresher,  we  might  without  difficulty  have  made  the 
Scala  of  Salona  before  nightfall.  But  the  wind  died  away 
as  we  were  rounding  the  Cape  and  entering  the  Crissaean  Bay, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  our  destined  harbor  lay.  We  were 
becalmed,  however,  in  the  midst  of  a  splendid  panorama  of 


NECKOPOLIS    OF    DELPHI.  233 

mountains;  Parnassus  and  Helicon  being  most  conspicuous 
on  the  northern  side,  and  Cyllene,  Khelmos,  and  Olonos  on 
the  south.  Our  mattresses  were  spread  on  the  deck,  for  the 
stench  of  the  small  cabin  was  quite  intolerable. 

In  the  morning  at  daybreak  we  foimd  ourselves  still  be- 
calmed, within  a  mile  or  two  of  last  evening's  position.  To- 
ward eight  o'clock  we  passed  the  town  of  Galaxidi,  and  came 
to  anchor  opposite  the  Scala,  or  landing-place,  of  the  large  vil- 
lage of  Salona,  which  lies  a  few  miles  in  the  interior.  Here 
we  experienced  another  delay  of  an  hour  or  two  before  setting 
out  for  Delphi.  We  thought  it  not  worth  while  to  go  on  to 
Salona,  the  site  of  the  ancient  important  town  of  Amphissa, 
and,  accordingly,  took  a  direct  route  through  Crissa.  The 
valley  we  were  riding  through  was  plentifully  watered  by 
streams  descending  from  the  hills,  and  covered  with  the  most 
flourishing  vineyards  I  had  yet  seen  in  Greece.  It  was  not 
long  before  we  entered  a  beautiful  olive-grove.  As  usual,  the 
trees  are  supplied  with  moisture  by  means  of  a  system  of  ca- 
nals, branching  off  into  multitudes  of  shallow  channels,  one 
of  which  runs  around  each  tree.  Just  beyond  the  grove,  we 
rode  by  the  village  of  Crissa,  which  shows  some  remains  of 
remote  antiquity  in  the  way  of  polygonal  walls.  Delphi  was 
situated  in  a  valley  beyond,  and  its  walls  ran  along  the  crest 
of  the  hill  back  of  Crissa,  but  a  few  hundred  yards  distant. 
For  some  minutes,  as  we  approached  them,  we  seemed  to  be 
traversing  the  cemetery  of  the  city  of  the  Pythian  Apollo. 
Some  of  the  sepulchres  were  mere  sarcophagi  cut  in  the  solid 
rock,  while  others  were  chambers  of  more  or  less  i*ude  con- 
struction. We  dismounted  and  entered  one  apparently  the 
most  perfect.  It  consisted  of  a  single  chamber,  on  three  of 
whose  sides  were  hewn  receptacles  for  the  dead,  who  had 
long  since  mouldered  away.  It  is  rare  to  find  any  traces  of 
the  covers  of  these  sarcophagi.  In  the  wall  behind  two  of 
them  were  smaU  niches,  apparently  designed  for  the  reception 
of  statues  of  infernal  or  tutelar  deities,  and  perhaps  of  lamps 
kept  burning  there  by  the  devotion  of  surviving  friends.  A 
second  tomb  we  found  quite  similar  to  this,  and  beyond  it  a 
third  excavation  in  the  form  of  a  semicircular  seat,  looking 
out  upon  the  Delphic  vale. 


234  DELPHI— PAKXASSL'S CU-iERONEA . 

This  celebrated  valley  opened  upon  our  view  suddenly  as 
we  rose  rapidly  toward  the  high  and  precipitous  cliffs  on  the 
north.  My  first  impression  was  a  feeling  of  disappointment 
at  its  smallness,  and  I  could  scarce  persuade  myself  that  this 
was  in  reality  the  world-renowned  seat  of  the  oracle.  Instead 
of  any  level  piece  of  ground,  Delphi  was  built  on  a  steep  slope, 
extending  probably  not  over  a  mile  in  length,  and  certainly 
not  half  a  mile  wide  from  the  rocks  where  we  stood  to  the 
much  more  rugged  heights  on  the  opposite  side.  Down  below 
runs  the  River  Pleistus ;  beyond  rises  the  bold  face  of  Mount 
Cirphis ;  and  above,  on  the  northeast,  are  two  remarkable 
crags,  in  a  cleft  between  which  springs  the  Castalian  fountain. 
Evidently  the  vale  could  scarcely  be  cultivated  without  the 
construction  of  terraces.  Accordingly,  we  find  numerous  walls 
of  various  periods,  built  as  well  for  this  purpose  as  to  serve 
for  the  support  of  the  platforms  of  the  numerous  edifices. 
They  form  one  of  the  most  striking  features  of  the  spot. 

"Still  could  I  dimly  trace  the  terraced  lines, 
Diverging  from  the  cliffs  on  either  side ; 
A  theatre  whose  steps  were  iilled  with  shrines 
And  rich  devices  of  Hellenic  jiride. 

***** 
"  The  place  whence  Gods  and  worshippers  had  fled ; 
Only,  and  they  too  tenantless,  remain 
The  hallowed  chambers  of  the  pious  dead." 

The  rather  neat-looking  village  of  Castri  occupies  the  very 
site  of  the  celebrated  shrine  of  Apollo,  of  which  few  traces 
remain.  A  church  of  St.  Elias  is  built  on  the  foundation  of 
an  antique  structure,  perhaps  the  "  Palace  of  the  Amphicty- 
ons" — a  body  which  met  alternately  here  and  at  Thermopylas. 
On  the  highest  jDortion  of  the  slope  we  traced  the  stadium, 
so  buried  by  the  earth  that  continually  washes  down  from 
the  hills,  that  only  two  of  the  uppermost  seats  appear.  The 
Delphic  games  were  periodically  celebrated  here  in  honor  of 
the  god  of  divination  and  the  oracle.  The  theatre  was  im- 
mediately below,  but  its  form  only  is  left  imprinted  on  the 
soil ;  and  near  by  is  the  fountain  Cassotis.  On  the  whole, 
the  ruins  of  Delphi  are  unsatisfactory,  with  the  exception 
of  the  famous  fountain  Castalia,  which  we  visited  next.     It 


OASTALIAN    FOUNTAIN.  235 

was  of  old  a  curious,  open  basin,  of  oblong  shape,  cut  out  of 
the  solid  rock  at  the  foot  of  a  perpendicular  cliff,  in  which 
there  are  still  to  be  seen  three  niches  for  statues.  There  was 
a  secret  channel  behind,  now  laid  open  to  view,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  draw  off  the  superfluous  water.  In  front  of  the 
fountain  are  three  or  four  steps  leading  down  into  it.  The 
side  of  the  basin  has  been  much  broken,  so  that  now  the  wa- 
ter runs  through  as  a  mere  rill.  Some  Castriote  women  were 
washing  clothes  there,  while  others  came  from  time  to  time 
to  draw  water.  The  whole  interior,  where  the  Pythia  used 
to  perform  her  ablutions  before  entering  the  temple,  was  filled 
with  a  thick  growth  of  thrifty  weeds  and  bushes,  and  bathing 
was  entirely  out  of  the  question.  We  contented  ourselves 
with  tasting  some  of  the  sacred  water. 

This,  then,  was  the  famed  seat  of  the  oracle,  where  a  fren- 
zied girl,  by  her  delirious  exclamations,  influenced  the  coun- 
cils of  distant  monarchs,  and  decided  the  fates  of  the  globe. 
Even  in  its  desolation  Delphi  is  beautiful,  and  no  spot  could 
be  more  appropriate  for  the  shrine  of  a  god  than  this  secluded 
vale.  But  Avhen  its  temples  and  pi'incely  palaces  were  in 
their  pristine  glory,  few  localities  could  have  presented  a 
more  magnificent  sight  than  burst  upon  the  eye  of  the  pagan 
pilgrims  as,  in  solemn  procession,  they  crossed  the  hills  that 
seem  to  isolate  Delphi  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  The  small 
village  of  Castri  has  succeeded  to  all  this  glory.  Its  houses 
are,  perhaps,  somewhat  more  respectable  than  those  of  the 
surrounding  places,  and  its  inhabitants  lay  claim  to  some  sort 
of  superiority  over  their  neighbors,  the  Arachovites,  who  are 
probably  of  Albanian  origin. 

Having  satisfied  ourselves  by  a  visit  to  each  of  the  remains 
of  antiquity,  and  examining  the  inscriptions  whose  discovery 
cost  the  distinguished  Miiller  his  life,*  we  proceeded  to  the 

*  Contrary  to  the  advice  of  his  friends  and  acquaintances  at  Athens, 
he  attempted  a  tour  through  Boeotia  and  Phocis  in  midsummer.  At 
Delj^hi  he  interested  himself  much  in  superintending  some  excavations 
on  a  part  of  the  site  of  the  Temple  of  Apollo,  which  were  rewarded  with 
the  discovery  of  very  valuable  inscriptions.  Such  was  his  impatience 
to  learn  their  contents,  that,  without  waiting  for  the  cool  of  the  day,  or 
until  they  should  be  transported  to  some  shady  place,  he  sat  down  in 
the  sun  to  copy  them.     A  violent  fever  was  the  result  of  this  imprxident 


236  DELPHI PAKNASSUS CII^:K0NEA  . 

private  house  where  we  were  to  lodge.  Nicholas  meanwhile 
had  been  making  inquiries  respecting  the  practicability  of  at- 
tempting the  ascent  of  Mount  Parnassus.  The  result  was 
that  he  brought  us  two  or  three  men  who  pretended  to  be  ex- 
perienced guides.  They  dctei'red  us  from  undertaking  it,  and 
urged  that  the  great  quantity  of  snow  that  had  fallen  of  late 
would  render  it  impossible  to  reach  the  summit  of  the  mount- 
ain. We  scarcely  knew  how  much  faith  to  put  in  their  rep- 
resentations, remembering  our  deceitful  guide  at  the  Styx, 
and  were  not  too  sure  that  Nicholas  (who  disliked  all  mount- 
ain excursions)  had  not  persuaded  them  to  tell  us  this  story. 
The  event  showed  that  our  surmises  were  incorrect ;  but  we 
liad  concluded  at  any  rate  to  visit  the  Corycian  Cave,  and  we 
should  lose  no  time  by  visiting  Parnassus  likewise. 

It  was  a  clear  morning  that  we  chose  for  the  ascent.  At 
four  o'clock  we  were  climbing  the  mountain  behind  Delphi, 
having  left  orders  for  our  agoyates  to  proceed  with  our  horses 
and  luggage  directly  to  Arachova,  a  small  village  some  dis- 
tance above  Castri  on  the  Pleistus,  where  we  were  to  descend. 
The  mules  hired  for  the  occasion  were  by  no  means  remark- 
able for  elegance,  and  too  much  inclined  to  weakness  of  the 
knees.  The  only  check  upon  their  propensity  to  fall  was  a 
halter,  and,  to  guide  them,  it  Avas  necessary  occasionally  to  ad- 
minister a  kick  to  one  side  or  other  of  the  head,  as  occasion 
required.  With  the  exception,  however,  of  finding  ourselves 
once  or  twice  landed  on  our  feet  over  our  mules'  heads,  we 
sufiered  no  great  inconvenience. 

We  shortly  reached  an  elevated  table-land,  two  thousand 
feet  or  more  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  at  whose  extent  I  was 
somewhat  astonished.  We  rode  some  distance  over  it,  and 
then  dismounted  to  clamber  up  to  the  entrance  of  the  Cory- 
cian Cave.  It  is  a  large  cavern,  of  no  great  beauty,  but  de- 
serving a  visit  for  its  historical  associations.  When  Xerxes 
invaded  Greece,  as  Herodotus  tells  us,  the  Delphians  sent 
their  wives  and  children  over  into  Achaia,  and  themselves  re- 
tired, some  to  Amphissa,  others  to  the  summits  of  Parnassus 
and  the   Corycian   Cave.      There  they  lay  concealed  until 

exposure,  and  he  returned  to  Athens  only  to  linger  a  few  days,  and  be 
buried  on  the  neighboring  hill  of  Colonos. 


THE    CORYCIAN    CAVE. 


237 


View   of  DELl'Ul   AM>   MOUNT    I'Au.,Aj;V-. 


Apollo  vindicated  his  honor  by  putting  to  rout  the  sacrile- 
gious invaders,  upon  whom  they  fell  and  slew  a  considerable 
number.*  We  passed  through  several  chambers  with  tapers 
in  our  hands,  having  taken  off  our  shoes  in  order  to  walk 
more  securely  over  the  slippery  floors.  Our  guides,  for  the 
purpose  of  expediting  our  visit  as  much  as  possible,  wished 
us  to  restrict  ourselves  to  the  principal  halls ;  but  we  explored 
the  most  considerable  portion  by  creeping  or  crawling  through 
one  or  more  low  passages.  The  Corycian  Cave  was  dedicated 
to  Pan  and  the  Njonphs.  At  present  the  peasants  call  it 
"  Saranta  Aulce"  or  the  forty  halls. 

After  leaving  the  cave,  we  rode  across  the  plain  to  the  ka- 
lyvia,  or  summer  village,  belonging  to  Aa'achova,  where  there 
was  as  yet  not  a  soul  to  be  seen.  In  the  vicinity  there  was 
a  large  pond  or  mountain  lake,  whose  only  outlet  is  a  subter- 
i-anean  one,  giving  rise,  it  is  said,  to  the  Castalian  spring  at 
Delphi.  And  now  commenced  the  ascent  of  Mount  Parnas- 
sus proper,  which  rises  from  this  high  plain.  At  first  our 
path  lay  through  a  wood  of  pine  and  fir  trees,  reaching  as  far 
*  Herodotus.  8.  36-38. 


238  DELPHI PARNASSUS CH^RONEA. 

as  the  place  where  the  snow  first  appeared  in  considerable 
patches.  There  we  were  obliged  to  dismount,  although  usu- 
ally it  is  possible  to  go  much  farther  with  mules.  Now  be- 
gan our  troubles.  Our  guide,  as  well  as  the  peasant  who  ac- 
companied us,  was  utterly  unaccustomed  to  walking  through 
the  snow,  and  rather  than  trust  himself  upon  it,  even  for  a 
short  distance,  would  lead  us  around  twice  or  thrice  as  far. 
Presently,  however,  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  avoid  the 
snow,  and  then  loud  were  the  complaints  of  the  Greeks  at  tlie 
hardship  they  were  undergoing.  It  would  have  been  easy  in 
fine  weather  to  have  reached  the  summit  within  an  hour  and 
a  half;  but  at  the  end  of  a  couple  of  hours,  what  with  the 
depth  of  the  snow,  the  circuitous  route  we  had  taken,  and 
the  slowness  of  our  "  mountaineers,"  we  found  ourselves  yet 
a  long  distance  below  the  highest  peak,  though  high  enough 
to  gain  a  fine  view.  It  would  have  been  more  extensive,  had 
not  the  air  been  somewhat  hazy  toward  the  horizon.  It  was 
clearly  impossible  to  reach  the  summit  and  return  that  day. 
H.,  who  seemed  most  disappointed,  proposed  that  we  should 
bivouac  for  the  night  on  the  first  bare  spot  of  ground  we  came 
to,  and  make  the  ascent  on  the  morrow.  The  rest  did  not 
relish  so  much  the  idea  of  an  exposure  to  the  night  air  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  snow,  without  more  protection  than  an  over- 
coat would  afibrd  us ;  but  we  had  some  difliculty  in  persuad- 
ing H.  to  relinquish  his  scheme.  In  fact,  it  was  rather  tan- 
talizing to  be  so  near  the  top  of  Parnassus,  and  yet  fail  to 
reach  it.  As  it  turned  out,  it  was  well  that  we  did  not  re- 
main ;  for  the  next  day  the  mountain  tops  were  enveloped  in 
clouds,  which  would  effectually  have  deprived  us  of  our  de- 
sired prospect. 

Very  unwillingly  we  turned  our  faces  toward  Arachova; 
and  the  Greeks,  who  had  positively  refused  to  proceed  fai'- 
ther,  on  the  plea  of  fatigue,  once  more  rose  and  led  the  way. 
Arriving  at  Arachova,  we  strolled  through  the  village,  which 
is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  mountain  side.  The  costume 
of  the  women  was  peculiar.  They  wore  their  hair  long,  and 
hanging  down  behind  in  a  long  cue ;  while  their  red  flannel 
aprons  and  short  dresses  gave  them  quite  a  picturesque  ap- 
pearance.    I  had  formerly  known  the  "  didascalos,"  or  teach- 


PASS    OK    SCHISTE.  239 

er,  of  the  public  school,  -vvho  had  studied  in  the  University  of 
Athens ;  but  as  the  day  was  now  well  advanced,  and  our  ex- 
cursion had  been  a  fatiguing  one,  wc  resolved  not  to  seek  him 
out. 

From  Ai'achova  our  plan  had  been  to  proceed  to  the  town 
of  Livadia,  and  thither  we  sent  our  luggage  directly.  For  a 
couple  of  hours  we  accompanied  it,  until  we  reached  the  nar- 
roAv  pass  of  Schiste,  between  Mount  Cirphis  and  the  base  of 
Mount  Parnassus.  At  Schiste,  in  ancient  as  in  modern  times, 
three  great  roads  met,  leading  respectively  to  Delphi,  to  Liva- 
dia and  Thebes,  and  to  Daulis.  Here  it  was  that,  according 
to  the  tragic  poets,  CEdipus  accidentally  met  his  father,  Laius, 
whom  he  unwittingly  slew,  and  so  fulfilled  the  prediction  of 
the  Delphic  oracle.  It  is  a  lonely  spot,  upon  which  the  frown- 
ing mountains  look  down  in  perfect  harmony  with  such  a  deed 
of  blood.  But  toward  the  east  the  defile  opens,  and  discloses 
to  the  view  a  portion  of  the  smiling  plain  of  Boeotia,  with  the 
Copaic  Lake  in  the  midst. 

There  were  three  ruined  cities,  lying  considerably  to  the 
north  of  the  direct  road  to  Livadia,  which  we  desired  to  visit. 
AVe  turned  off  here,  and  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  citadel 
of  Daulis,  overhanging  a  village  of  the  same  name.  The  for- 
tifications, still  remaining  in  good  preservation,  occupy  the 
summit  of  a  circular  hill,  near  the  western  termination  of  a 
valley  that  lies  on  the  eastern  side  of  Parnassus,  and  opens 
into  the  great  central  plain  of  Bceotia.  From  the  masonry 
of  the  wall,  the  stones  of  which  are  polygonal  in  form,  but 
approach  to  regular  courses,  it  would  seem  that  the  period  of 
its  erection  must  have  been  as  early,  at  least,  as  the  fifth  cen- 
tury before  Christ.  But  there  are  also  indications  of  more 
recent  constructions  of  Frank  or  Turkish  origin. 

It  was  the  work  of  a  few  minutes  to  inspect  all  that  re- 
mained of  Daulis,  and  Ave  hastily  rode  on  for  an  hour  to  the 
second  acropolis — that  of  Paiiopeus.  Our  mid-day  repast  was 
taken  in  the  hamlet  of  Ai  Vlasi,  at  its  foot.  The  house  that 
Nicholas  chose  chanced  to  have  a  board  floor;  but  it  could 
not  boast  a  single  chair.  A  broom  was  borrowed  of  the  host- 
ess ;  and,  having  cleared  a  spot  to  sit  upon,  we  ate  our  lunch 
in  peace,  without  disturbing  the  women,  who,  in  another  part 


240  DELPHI PARNASSUS CH^RONEA. 

of  the  same  room,  were  busy  picking  cotton.  The  seeds  were 
removed  by  means  of  a  machine  working  with  three  or  four 
rollers — a  poor  substitute  for  the  American  cotton-gin.  The 
hill  of  Panopeus  is  lofty,  and  from  its  crest  the  eye  takes  in 
the  entire  plain  of  Chferonea.  The  remains  of  its  walls  we 
found  to  be  the  most  interesting  we  had  seen  since  leaving 
Messene,  from  their  height  and  strength  as  well  as  their  an- 
tiquity. But  neither  Daulis  nor  Panopeus  have  had  the  good 
fortune  to  occupy  a  prominent  place  on  the  page  of  history. 

Not  so  with  Chjeronea,  whose  fortress,  some  two  or  three 
miles  farther  to  the  east,  was  the  next  object  to  be  visited. 
Occupying  a  central  position,  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  fertile 
district,  and  on  the  direct  route  between  the  monarchy  of 
Macedon  and  the  free  republics  of  Greece,  it  enjoyed  the  un- 
enviable distinction  of  three  times  furnishing  a  battle-field 
upon  which  the  die  of  empire  was  cast.  The  first  of  these 
conflicts,  in  point  of  time,  was  of  little  moment,  scarcely  ex- 
ceeding a  skirmish  between  the  Athenians  and  the  aristocratic 
party  of  Boeotia  (b.c.  447),  and  is  lost  sight  of  in  the  compar- 
ison with  the  fearful  contest  fought  a  hundred  and  nine  years 
later.*  Philip  of  Macedon  had  at  length  cast  oiF  his  mask  of 
dissimulation ;  for  his  specious  arts,  his  seductive  speeches, 
and  his  more  potent  gifts,  had  accomplished  their  full  design. 
Before  this,  his  aim  had  been  merely  to  gain  time,  and  to  se- 
cure the  undisturbed  execution  of  his  plans  of  aggrandizement. 
Among  the  measures  taken  for  the  furtherance  of  these,  he 
counted  as  no  lavish  expenditure  the  bribes  given  to  -^schines 
and  others,  whose  names  are  consigned  to  the  same  infamy 
with  his.  The  fault  of  the  Athenians  was  not  so  much  that 
they  did  not  act,  as  that  they  were  perpetually  too  late  in 
their  enterprises.  They  never  moved  a  finger  to  save  Olyn- 
thus  or  Potida^a,  until  those  cities  were  ready  to  fall  like  ripe 
fruit  into  the  mouth  of  the  eater.  The  prophetic  eye  of  De- 
mosthenes had  long  detected  the  certainty  of  the  impending 
struggle,  whose  scene  it  Avas  in  the  power  of  the  Greeks  to 
choose.  They  might  have  met  and  crushed  the  infant  mon- 
ster upon  his  own  soil,  where  a  victory  would  have  been 

*  The  third  and  last  battle  of  Chseronea  was  between  the  Romans, 
under  v'^ylla.  and  the  army  of  Mithridates.  who  was  defeated  (b.c.  85). 


BATTLE    OF    Cn-ERONEA. 


211 


more  decisive,  or  a  defeat  less  disastrous.  Their  sloth  induced 
them  to  neglect  the  propitious  moment,  and  suffer  the  conflict 
to  take  place  at  their  very  gates,  and  to  be  no  longer,  as  De- 
mosthenes had  long  since  foretold,  one  for  supremacy  and 
power  abroad,  but  for  their  own  liberty  and  the  possession  of 
Attica  itself.  Philip  was  suffered  to  advance  to  the  banks  of 
the  Boeotian  river,  Cephissus  (which  flows  through  the  valley- 
we  were  in),  and  here  upon  its  banks  the  matter  was  decided 
by  force  of  arms.  The  exact  spot  on  which  the  battle  was 
fought 'can  not  now  be  recognized  with  perfect  certainty,  for 
the  temple  of  Hercules  that  marked  it  has  disappeared.  But 
it  is  none  the  less  positive  that,  before  evening,  this  plain  was 
covered  with  slain,  and  the  hills  with  the  fugitives.  The  Sa- 
cred Band  of  Thebes  alone,  to  a  single  man,  fell  at  their 
posts.  From  that  day  the  light  of  freedom  never  dawned 
again  upon  Greece. 


We  climbed  the  Acropolis  of  Chferonea  with  much  greater 
alacrity  than  those  we  had  previously  inspected.  The  hill  is 
loftier  and  more  extensive ;  but  we  found  the  walls  in  a  very 
poor  state  of  preservation.  They  seem  to  have  been  double, 
and  of  great  strength.  At  the  base  of  the  hill,  on  the  edge  of 
the  plain,  we  examined  a  curious  little  theatre,  resembling  that 
of  Argos,  and,  like  it,  cut  out  of  the  living  rock.  On  the  face 
of  the  rock  separating  the  rows  of  seats  I  noticed  a  rude  in- 


242  DELPHI PAKNASSUS CH^RONEA. 

scription  in  very  large  letters,  purporting  to  be  a  dedication 
of  the  theatre  to  Apollo  ;  but  a  part  of  it  is  at  present  scarce- 
ly legible.  Near  by  is  an  ancient  fountain,  still  serving  for 
the  neighboring  village  of  Capurna,  Avhich  is  supplied  by  an 
old  aqueduct.  These  are  the  only  traces  to  be  found  of  the 
city  of  Chasronea. 

Mounting  our  horses  again,  we  rode  for  iive  minutes  across 
the  plain  to  a  tumulus  opened  some  years  ago.  It  had  long 
been  suspected  of  being  an  artificial  mound,  commemorative 
of  one  of  the  battles  fought  in  the  neighborhood.  On  digging, 
the  revolutionary  chief  Odysseus  discovered  a  colossal  lion  of 
white  marble,  and  of  good  woi'kmanship,  which  no  doubt  was 
the  one  described  by  Pausanias,  as  erected  by  the  Bccotians 
over  their  countrymen  who  fell  on  that  memorable  day  by  the 
hand  of  the  Macedonians.  It  is  now  in  fragments,  scattered 
about  the  trench,  just  as  it  lay  twenty  years  ago.  How  its 
destruction  was  wrought,  I  can  not  state  Avith  certainty.  I 
was  informed  by  several  persons  that  we  owe  it  to  the  discov- 
erer himself,  who,  suspecting  that  the  statue  contained  some 
hidden  treasure,  deliberately  blew  it  up  with  gunpowder.  It 
need  scarcely  be  added  that  his  avarice  was  not  rewarded  with 
the  object  of  his  search.  If  the  alleged  circumstance  be  true, 
we  shall  have  less  reason  to  regret  that  such  a  barbarian  met 
a  tragical  end  in  the  Acropolis  of  Athens  a  few  years  later. 

Leaving  Cha^ronea,  we  now  turned  southward.  The  valley 
we  were  also  quitting  seemed  fertile,  and  well  watered  by  other 
streams,  as  well  as  by  the  Cephissus,  which,  entering  it  from 
the  north,  nearly  opposite  Panopeus,  flows  through  the  lower 
portion  to  join  the  Copaic  Lake.  But  though  susceptible  of 
such  general  cultivation,  we  were  struck  with  the  fact  that 
scarce  a  third  or  fourth  part  seems  to  be  tilled.  True,  some 
allowance  must  be  made  for  some  of  the  crops,  such  as  maize, 
cotton,  and  tobacco,  which  were  yet  to  be  planted  during  this 
and  the  ensuing  months.  Still  it  can  not  be  denied  that  a 
very  large  portion  of  Greece  is  not  cultivated  at  all,  and  of 
that  portion  reduced  to  some  kind  of  cultivation  there  is  little 
that  is  cared  for  as  it  should  be.  Covered  as  the  country  is 
with  a  network  of  mountains  and  hiUs,  its  valleys  are  most  of 
them  tolerably  rich,  some  of  them  even  exceedingly  fertile : 


CAVE    OF    TROPHONIUS.  243 

and  all  the  products  of  the  temperate  zones  might  be  raised  in 
abundance.  There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  a  much 
greater  population  could  be  sustained.  Nicholas,  with  -whom 
Iwas  conversing  on  the  subject  this  afternoon,  said  that,  from 
what  he  had  seen  of  the  country  (and  there  was  scarcely  a  dis- 
trict that  he  had  not  traversed),  he  was  certain  that,  instead 
of  a  million  inhabitants,  Greece  should  support  three  or  four 
millions.  And  how  can  we  doubt  that,  in  Hellenic  times, 
when  the  teeming  population  could  not  be  nourished  by  the 
domestic  produce,  and  recourse  was  had  to  the  granaries  of 
Pontus  and  Egypt,  with  a  much  higher  degree  of  cultivation, 
Greece  may  have  contained  at  least  five  or  six  million  souls, 
exclusive  of  Thessaly  and  Epirus  ? 

Our  ride  to  Livadia  was  uninteresting,  but  was  diversified 
by  an  accident  which  well  nigh  proved  fatal  to  one  of  our  par- 
ty, who  Avas  precipitated,  head  foremost,  from  his  horse,  but 
providentially  escaped  uninjured.  Livadia,  or  Lebadea,  as  the 
name  is  commonly  written,  is  prettily  situated,  partly  on  the 
theatre-shaped  hills,  and  partly  in  the  plain,  in  the  midst  of 
which  a  smaller  conical  hill,  crowned  with  a  Turkish  fortifi- 
cation, formed  the  ancient  acropolis.  Here,  in  a  khan,  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  an  old  Mohammedan  minaret,  we  obtained 
lodgings  for  the  night.  While  dinner  was  preparing,  we  sal- 
lied forth  to  view  the  modern  town.  It  has  certainly  retro- 
graded from  the  time  of  the  Turkish  dominion,  when  it  was  so 
important  as  to  give  its  name  to  the  Avhole  of  northern  Greece, 
although  even  now  it  is  by  no  means  insignificant,  with  a  pop- 
ulation of  perhaps  three  or  four  thousand  souls.  Finding  lit- 
tle to  interest,  we  walked  up  the  narrow  gorge  behind  the  cit- 
adel, through  which  the  river  of  Lebadea  descends,  visiting  the 
probable  site  of  the  sacred  grove,  and  of  the  famous  oracle  of 
Trophonius.  The  situation  of  the  cave  is  not  certain.  It  may 
have  been  one  that  we  saw  with  its  inner  extremity  blocked 
up  with  stones.  There  are  numerous  niches  cut  in  the  rocks 
on  either  side  of  the  ravine,  to  receive  such  votive  offerings  as 
those  who  consulted  the  oracle  chose  to  dedicate  to  the  hero : 
but,  though  crevices  and  caves  abound,  there  is  none  answer- 
ing to  the  deep,  mysterious  cavern  which  the  devotee  used  to 
fnter  with  so  much  awe :  nor  have  I  heard  that  by  entering 


244  DELPHI PARNASSUS CHiERONEA. 

any  of  these,  a  single  Greek  lias  lost  his  accustomed  flip- 
pancy.* 

There  is  a  large  fountain  close  by,  the  exact  counterpart  of 
the  Castalian  fount  at  Delphi,  with  similar  niches  behind  it, 
and  numerous  passages  in  the  adjoining  rock;  and  the  con- 
jecture seems  nof  improbable  that  these  facilitated  the  pagan 
priests  in  deceiving  the  people  who  came  to  consult  the  noted 
oracle.  From  this  and  an  adjoining  spring,  copious  streams 
of  water  issue,  which  straightway  form  a  respectable  river, 
turning  some  mills  in  the  town,  and  watering  the  plain. 

The  day  that  we  were  to  leave  Livadia,  we  found,  on  rising, 
that  the  rain  was  descending  in  torrents,  and  we  were,  conse- 
quently, delayed  several  hours  in  the  khan,  where,  for  the  first 
time  dui'ing  our  tour,  there  was  presented  to  us  that  invaria- 
ble attendant  on  a  Swiss  inn — the  strangers'  book — in  which 
we  were  expected  to  inscribe  our  names.  This  mark  of  ap- 
proaching civilization  was  due  to  the  circumstance  of  our  being 
but  a  couple  of  days'  journey  from  the  capital.  The  short  ex- 
cursions to  which  most  travelers  in  Greece  limit  themselves, 
rarely  extend  farther  in  this  direction  than  Thebes,  Livadia, 
and  perhaps  Delphi. 

About  nine  o'clock  the  rain  ceased,  and  we  pushed  forward 
toward  Scripu,  on  the  margin  of  Lake  Copais.  The  rain  had 
swollen  the  torrents,  and  we  were  obliged  to  make  a  long  cir- 
cuit to  avoid  them.  The  Lebadean  plain  is  exceedingly  level, 
and  so  low  that  the  lake  can  not  be  seen  from  it  at  all.  Yet, 
though  well  watered,  it  is  less  fertile  than  that  of  Ch^ronea. 
There  was  an  old  monastery  at  Scripu,  into  whose  large  court 
we  drove,  and  took  possession  of  one  of  the  monks'  cells  for 
our  mid-day  lunch.  The  church,  standing  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  square,  is  extraordinarily  large  for  this  retired  re- 
gion. The  great  quantity  of  ancient  materials  employed  in 
its  construction  is  supposed  to  indicate  that  this  was  the  site 
of  a  temple  dedicated  to  the  Graces.  Numerous  inscriptions, 
apparently  of  the  time  of  the  Roman  domination  in  Greece, 

*  Addison's  Essay  in  the  "  Spectator"  contains  a  livelier  and  more 
graphic  account  than  any  ancient  author  of  the  fabled  properties  of  the 
Cave  of  Trophonius,  the  visitor  to  which  was  said  never  to  smile  again 
after  his  return. 


ACROPOLIS    OF    ORCHOMENUS.  245 

are  imbedded  in  the  -walls,  and  a  statue  or  two  have  been  re- 
cently dug  up.  Inside  of  the  church  there  are  several  drums 
of  columns  of  the  same  singular  construction  as  those  employ- 
ed in  the  interior  of  the  Phigalian  Temple  of  Apollo,  and  a 
few  small  sculptured  marbles  fixed  in  the  Avhitevvashed  walls, 
from  which  the  old  Byzantine  paintings  have  been  effaced. 

Scripu  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  Orchomeniis,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  to-mis  in  the  Boeotian  state,  and  a  perse- 
vering enemy  of  the  Theban  power.  The  only  ruin  in  the 
village  itself  is  the  so-called  "Treasury  of  Minyas,"  origin- 
ally an  edifice  similar  to  the  Treasury  of  Atreus — the  more 
interesting  from  its  mention  by  Pausanias  as  among  the  most 
wonderful  objects  in  Greece,  and  the  earliest  of  the  remark- 
able edifices  of  this  construction.  I  was  disappointed  at  find- 
ing so  small  a  portion  of  the  original  structure  standing, 
or  at  least  visible  (for  there  may  remain  a  great  part  of  it 
entire  within  the  hill).  In  fact,  there  is  nothing  to  be  seen 
but  a  portion  of  the  great  portal,  one  of  whose  immense  slabs 
remains,  measuring  sixteen  feet  long  by  eight  wide,  and 
over  three  in  thickness.  It  presents  to  us,  as  it  were,  a  first 
trial  of  the  architectural  skill  that  reared  the  monument  of 
Atreus. 

The  remains  of  most  interest  and  greatest  extent,  however, 
are  those  of  the  acropolis,  built  upon  a  ridge  running  up 
westward  from  the  city,  and  at  the  farther  end  elevated  and 
narrow.  This  point  was  occupied  by  the  citadel,  which  was 
situated  on  a  high  rock,  and  was  reached  from  within  the 
fortifications  by  a  stairway  cut  in  the  rock.  Here  the  walls 
are  in  a  better  state  of  preservation  than  elsewhere,  rising  to 
some  twenty-two  courses  of  stone.  The  chief  point  of  inter- 
est at  Orchomenus  is  its  eventful  history.  In  the  early  ages 
it  occupied  the  first  rank  among  the  Bceotian  cities — long  the 
rival,  sometimes  the  superior,  of  Thebes  itself.  So  limited  a 
territory  could  contain  but  one  mistress ;  and  it  was  the  lot 
of  Orchomenus  to  succumb  to  the  power  and  ambition  of  the 
city  of  Cadmus.  Still,  in  every  war  Orchomenus  was  always 
to  be  found  siding  with  the  other  independent  cities  of  the 
district  in  defence  of  their  common  liberties.  It  was  not  till 
the  year  368  B.C.,  that  the  project,  long  entertained,  but  op- 


'240  DELPUI PARNASSUS CH.ERONEA  , 

posed  by  the  humanity  and  policy  of  Epaminondas  himself, 
Avas,  during  his  absence  in  the  Peloponnesus,  actually  put  in 
execution :  Orchomenus  was  razed  to  the  ground,  and  its  in- 
habitants either  slain  or  sold  into  slavery.  At  the  time  that 
this  barbarous  measui-e  of  policy  was  consummated,  Orchom- 
enus was  at  peace  with  the  Thebans.  Only  a  few  years 
elapsed  before  the  ruined  walls  were  restored,  though  the  new 
city  never  recovered  its  pristine  influence,  or  a  tithe  of  the 
wealth  it  was  fabled  to  have  possessed  in  the  days  of  its  old 
king,  Minyas. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice,  in  the  fortifications  now  extant, 
the  remains  of  walls,  some  of  which  evidently  belong  to  the 
fourth  century  before  the  Christian  era,  while  other  parts  are 
with  equal  certainty  to  be  attributed  to  the  more  ancient  city. 
The  walls  leading  down  the  hill  from  the  citadel,  and  inclos- 
ing the  triangular  space  occupied  by  the  city,  are  built  of 
large  and  irregular  masses  of  stone,  such  as  were  employed 
in  primitive  times.  Hence  it  seems  clear  that  the  destruc- 
tion of  Orchomenus  was  not  complete  ;  but  the  Thebans  were 
content  with  overthrowing  so  much  of  the  walls  as  to  render 
their  restoration  the  work  of  months  or  years. 

From  the  top  of  the  tower,  to  which  we  climbed  by  about 
ninety  steps,  we  obtained. a  wide  view  over  the  central  plain 
of  Boeotia,  and  extending  from  Mount  Parnassus  on  the 
west  to  Parnes  and  the  distant  mountains  of  Euboea  east- 
ward, with  the  hills  of  Locris  to  the  north,  and  the  snow- 
capped peaks  of  Citha3ron  and  Helicon  toward  the  south. 
Below  us  lay  Lake  Copais,  into  which  the  Cephissus  and  a 
number  of  smaller  streams  pour  their  waters.  But,  although 
the  spring  had  been  uncommonly  wet,  the  lake  seemed  rather 
an  extensive  marsh,  with  large  patches  of  water  in  its  midst. 
It  has  no  outlet  above  ground ;  but  there  are  katavotlira,  or 
subterranean  passages  at  the  opposite  extremity,  near  Thebes, 
through  which  it  discharges  into  the  channel  of  Euboea,  not 
far  above  Chalcis.  We  endeavored  to  trace  out  the  plan  of 
the  citadel,  but  were  not  entirely  successful,  as  the  walls  of 
which  it  is  composed  are  somewhat  intricate.  In  the  centre 
was  a  large  excavation,  probably  for  a  cistern.  The  walls 
from  below  run  up  almost  contiguous  to  each  other,  and  seem 


VICTORY    OF    THE    CATALANS.  247 

to  have  served  merclj  to  keep  up  a  communication  between 
the  town  and  the  fortress. 

The  vicinity  of  Orchomenus  was  the  scene  of  a  battle  of 
considerable  interest  about  the  year  a.d.  1310.  The  "Cata- 
lan Grand  Company,"  a  band  of  Spanish  adventurers,  had 
hired  themselves  to  Walter  de  Brienne  as  auxiliary  troops. 
When  the  Duke  of  Athens  found  them  too  dangerous  and 
unruly  subjects,  and  commanded  them  to  depart,  they  refused 
to  do  so  unless  their  arrears  should  be  paid  up,  and  they 
be  permitted  to  mai'ch  into  the  Morea.  They  consequently 
took  up  their  station  on  the  banks  of  the  Cephissus,  near  Or- 
("homenus,  and  awaited  the  attack  of  the  duke,  who  soon  ap- 
peared at  the  head  of  fifteen  thousand  men.  The  Catalans 
had  well  chosen  their  ground.  They  had  turned  the  course 
of  the  Cephissus  upon  the  low  lands  that  intervened  between 
them  and  the  enemy ;  but  the  quagmire  was  concealed  by  the 
growth  of  grass  clothing  the  fields.  The  first  impetuous  on- 
set of  the  gallant  knights  in  the  train  of  the  duke  involved 
them  in  inextj'icable  confusion.  Horse  and  rider  floundered 
and  fell  in  the  deceitful  bog ;  retreat  was  cut  off  by  the  very 
numbers  of  the  army ;  and  all  the  cavalry  fell  an  easy  prey 
to  the  cunning  Catalans.  The  rest  of  the  Athenian  host,  de- 
pi-ived  of  their  duke  and  generals,  turned  their  backs  and  fled. 
Athens  itself  fell  speedily  into  the  hands  of  the  strangers,  who 
for  seventy-five  years  enjoyed  the  possessions  of  their  former 
masters.  The  good  old  chronicler,  Muntaner,  oberves  that 
after  the  victory  many  a  stout  Catalan  soldier  received  as 
wife  a  noble  lady,  for  whom  the  day  before  he  would  have 
accounted  it  an  honor  to  have  been  allowed  to  hold  a  wash- 
basin.* 

We  had  climbed  the  hill  on  foot,  leaving  our  caravan  to 
proceed  by  the  plain.  We  now  detected  it  in  the  distance 
below,  skirting  the  northeastern  base  of  the  hill,  and  engaged 
in  following  what  is  called  in  modern  Greek  parlance  a 
"kake  scala."  The  term  is  applied  to  any  rough  ascent,  es- 
pecially where  the  rock  has  been  hewn  out  in  steps.  It  is  no 
uncommon  thing  for  the  traveler  to  proceed  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  over  what  is  thus  appropriately  styled  a  "bad  stair- 
*  Finlay,  Mediteval  Greece  and  Trebizond,  p.  17.">. 


248  DELPHI FARNASSUS OH^RONEA. 

case."  It  is  wonderful  to  see  with  what  ease  the  beasts  of 
burden,  however  heavily  laden,  ascend  paths  that  would  be 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  for  horses  differently  trained.  This 
is  owing  in  part  to  the  manner  in  which  they  are  shod,  with 
irons  covering  the  whole  under  surface  of  the  foot.  We  soon 
rejoined  our  company,  who  had  taken  this  bad  road,  as  we 
learned,  because  of  the  lake  which  comes  up  to  the  very  base 
of  the  hill. 

We  had  now  before  us  a  ride  of  two  hours  and  a  quarter 
(not  more  than  seven  or  eight  miles,  at  the  slow  I'ate  we  were 
obliged  to  travel)  to  the  village  of  Exarcho.  The  plain  was 
well  cultivated,  but  presented  no  objects  of  interest.  Just 
before  reaching  the  village  we  turned  to  the  left  to  visit  an 
ancient  acropolis,  that  of  Abc^.  Here  was  the  seat  of  an- 
other of  those  famous  oracles  whose  responses  obtained  great 
renown ;  and  the  Apollo  of  Abte  was  said  to  be  more  ancient 
than  his  namesake  at  Delphi.  This  was  one  of  those  upon 
Avhose  predictions  Croesus  relied,  and  misinterpreted  or  was 
deceived  by  it.  Xerxes,  with  his  fire-worshipping  Persians, 
committed  the  temple  to  flames.  The  hill  is  defended  on  two 
sides  by  precipitous  rocks,  and  elsewhere  by  a  couple  of  par- 
allel walls,  about  a  hundred  yards  apart,  covering  the  most 
accessible  parts.  Their  construction  is  of  the  second  style  of 
Pelasgic  masonry,  in  which  the  stones  are  beautifully  fitted 
to  one  another.  Near  the  principal  gate,  we  noticed  with 
curiosity  and  admiration  a  short  detached  wall,  in  which,  as 
though  for  ornament's  sake,  the  stones  are  large  and  accu- 
rately cut  on  the  edges  into  circular  arcs,  and  joined  in  the 
closest  manner. 

We  retraced  our  steps  to  the  road,  and  found  our  way  to 
the  khan  of  Exarcho,  Avhere  our  Ai-abian  Janni  had  prepared 
for  us  a  good  dinner,  turning  to  account  all  that  the  village 
c  ould  furnish  in  the  way  of  eatables.  Wli^n  night  came,  a 
curtain,  formed  of  H.'s  Scotch  plaid,  was  all  that  screened  us 
Irom  the  rest  of  the  household,  who  were  quite  numerous. 


KtriNED  TOWEB  NEAR  OSNOE. 

CHAPTER  XVni. 

THERMOPYLAE  AND  EUBCEA. 

The  women  of  Exarcho  and  of  some  of  the  neighboring 
villages  wear  a  singular  and  characteristic  costume.  Their 
hair,  in  general  remarkably  long  and  abundant,  is  braided, 
and  hangs  down  behind  in  a  cue.  To  the  end  of  this  is  at- 
tached a  long  ribbon,  and  at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  rib- 
bon a  number  of  silver  coins  and  medals  dangle  almost  about 
the  feet  of  the  wearer.  Every  rare  piece  of  money  goes  to 
augment  the  value  of  this  costly  head-dress,  unless  it  be  added 
to  a  corresponding  ornament  around  the  neck.  The  dress  is 
a  cotton  go-wn  reaching  the  ankles,  over  which  is  worn  a  short 
flamiel  dress  without  sleeves ;  both  being  confined  by  a  wide 
belt  around  the  waist.  The  head  is  covered  with  a  handker- 
chief hanging  do-wn  behind,  and  the  feet  are  thrust  into  short, 
pointed  slippers.  Altogether,  the  appearance  of  a  handsome 
Exarchiote  woman  is  well  set  off  by  this  costume,  of  which 
she  is  naturally  proud.  As  for  beauty,  we  have  been  disap- 
pointed, in  our  travels  so  far,  in  discovering  so  little  of  it.  The 
hard  domestic  toils  to  which  the  Greek  girl  is  subjected,  almost 
from  infancy,  commonly  destroy  all  traces  of  fine  looks,  and 
give  the  gait  and  form  of  old  age  to  those  in  whom  we  look 

L2 


i-'oO 


THKRMOPYL^    AND    EUBCKA. 


i'or  the  freshness  and  elasticity  of  youth.  We  certainly  saw 
as  many  as  ten  handsome  men,  where  we  found  one  female 
whose  face  was  above  mediocrity :  a  fact  that  would  lead  us 
to  infer  much  respecting  the  tyranny  with  which  the  feebler 
sex  are  treated  in  Greece,  even  if  we  did  not  know  that  they 

are  considered  the  servants, 
rather  than  the  companions 
and  equals,  of  men. 

Leaving  Exarcho,  which  is 
a  retired  place,  and  somewhat 
remote  from  the  direct  road 
to  Thessaly,  we  found  our  way 
in  less  than  an  hour  to  the  ru- 
ins of  Hyampolis,  at  Vogdana. 
The  circuit  of  the  walls  in- 
closes a  small  space — six  or 
seven  hundred  feet  long,  and 
half  as  wide — on  very  level 
gi-ound.  We  followed  these 
walls  through  their  Avhole  ex- 
tent, and  found  them  to  be- 
long, like  most  of  the  ruined 
fortifications  in  this  vicinity, 
to  what  may  be  called  the 
third  epoch  of  Greek  mason- 
ry— that  is,  the  period  when 
the  materials  began  to  be  laid 
in  courses,  though  by  no  means  regular  or  of  uniform  height.* 

*  The  masonry  of  the  Greeks,  as  exhibited  in  the  remains  of  their 
fortified  cities  and  tombs,  may  be  conveniently  referred  to  three  styles 
or  orders,  only  the  third  of  which  seems  to  have  been  em])loyed  in  his- 
toric times.  To  the  first,  or  Cyclopean  order,  arc  to  be  attributed  those 
walls  of  Tiryns,  for  instance,  and  part  of  those  of  Mycenre,  which  are 
built  of  ponderous  masses  of  stone,  scarcely  fitted  to  one  another  by  the 
chisel,  and  whose  crevices  ai-e  filled  by  the  insertion  of  smaller  stones. 
In  the  second,  or  Pelasgic,  the  walls  are  constructed  of  polygonal  stones, 
their  edges  adapted  to  each  other  with  wonderful  precision,  and  often 
presenting  a  smoother  and  more  beautiful  face  than  those  of  either  of 
the  other  classes.  In  the  third  order  the  stones  become  quadrangular, 
or  nearly  so.  and  are  laid  in  regular  courses.    The  second  style  is  known 


PEASANT  WOMAN   OF   EXAKCIIO. 


PHILIP    AT    ELATEA.  251 

Soon  after  passing  HyampoHs,  the  road  emerged  from  the 
hills,  and  we  entered  a  valley  running  westward,  and  situated 
along  the  northern  base  of  Mount  Parnassus,  of  which  it  com- 
mands at  every  point  a  magnificent  view.  At  Drachmani, 
where  we  stopped  at  noon,  Ave  sent  our  pack-horses  forward 
toward  Pundonitza,  while  we  rode,  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
to  the  site  of  the  important  city  of  Elatea.  The  ruins  are 
very  insignificant ;  but,  singularly  enough,  whereas  in  most 
cases  the  temples  and  public  edifices  alone  have  escaped  entire 
ruin,  and  not  a  trace  is  to  be  seen  of  the  private  houses,  here 
the  area  of  the  ancient  city  is  covered  with  long  lines  of  stones, 
forming,  perhaps,  the  foundations  of  the  dwellings  of  the  peo- 
ple. In  one  place,  however,  there  wei'e  remains  of  the  pave- 
ment and  cella  of  a  small  temple,  Avhose  interior  seems  to  have 
been  divided  by  a  ci'oss  wall.  The  ground  upon  which  the 
city  stood  is  slightly  inclined,  and  the  position  Avas  not  in  it- 
self a  very  strong  one.  Yet  Elatea,  placed  on  the  great  route 
leading  from  Thessaly  into  Bceotia,  was,  after  Thermopylse, 
the  key  of  Greece. 

Almost  the  fu'St  notice  we  haA'e  of  Elatea,  is  the  statement 
that  in  Xerxes'  expedition  into  Greece  it  shared  the  fate  of 
many  other  cities  of  Greece,  and  Avas  destroyed  AAath  fire.  But 
the  most  interesting  incident  in  its  history  is  connected  Avith 
its  seizure  by  Philip  of  Macedon  in  his  advance  upon  Athens 
(B.C.  338).  Although  Demosthenes  had  not  ceased  to  portray 
their  danger,  the  Athenians  seemed  struck  Avith  judicial 
blindness,  and  could  not  be  induced  to  believe  that  the  wily 
king  was  endeavoring,  by  his  intrigues,  to  compass  their  de- 
struction. The  potent  spell,  which  CA'cn  the  enchantments  of 
Demosthenes'  eloquence  Avas  not  sufficient  to  overcome,  re- 
mained unbroken,  till  the  blow  that  seemed  to  seal  the  fate  of 
the  Grecian  republics  fell  suddenly  upon  the  sleepers.     Its  as- 

to  have  been  generally  discontinued  previous  to  the  fourth  centmy  be- 
fore the  Christian  era,  and  polygonal  masonry  was  in  use  at  least  as  far 
back  as  the  seventh  or  eighth  centuries — perhaps  much  earlier.  The 
Cyclopean  mode  of  construction  was  employed,  in  all  probability,  for 
many  ages  anterior  to  that  period,  and  is  undoubtedly  the  oldest  yet 
discovered  in  Greece.  For  a  discussion  of  this  subject,  the  reader  may 
consult  Leake,  Travels  in  the  Morea,  i.,  377,  and  C.  O.  Mut,t,er,  An- 
cient Art  and  its  Remains,  p.  20-22. 


252  THERMOPYL^    AND    EUBOiA. 

tounding  effect — in  a  few  moments  changing  the  quiet  of  un- 
concern into  terror  and  despair — is  described  by  the  orator  in 
a  passage  which  for  ages  has  been  cited  for  its  graphic  beauty. 
It  was  addressed  to  the  people. 

"It  was  evening  when  a  messenger  came  and  announced  to 
the  prytanes  that  Elatea  was  taken.  Then  some  of  them,  ris- 
ing up  instantly  in  the  midst  of  their  supper,*  drove  out  those 
that  occupied  booths  in  the  market-place,  and  set  fire  to  the 
sheds  ;  and  others  sent  for  the  generals,  and  called  for  the 
trumpeter ;  and  the  city  was  full  of  uproar.  On  the  morrow, 
as  soon  as  day  dawned,  the  prytanes  summoned  the  Senate  to 
the  council-chamber,  while  you  proceeded  to  the  place  of  pub- 
lic assembly,  and,  before  the  Senate  had  deliberated  and  framed 
its  decree,  all  the  people  had  taken  their  seats  above.  After- 
vvard,  when  the  Senate  came  in,  and  the  prytanes  announced 
what  had  been  reported  to  them,  and  introduced  the  messen- 
ger, and  he  had  spoken,  the  herald  asked,  '  Who  wishes  to  ha- 
I'angue?'  But  no  one  came  forward.  And  while  the  herald 
asked  repeatedly,  none  the  more  did  any  one  rise,  though  all 
the  generals  and  all  the  orators  were  present,  and  the  common 
voice  of  the  country  called  upon  whoever  was  capable  of  it  to 
give  counsel  for  its  deliverance ;  although,  if  it  had  been  nec- 
essary for  those  who  desired  the  salvation  of  the  city  to  come 
forward,  all  of  you  would  have  risen  and  mounted  the  plat- 
form."! 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Demosthenes  arose  to  encourage 
the  dispirited  people,  and  advised  the  fitting  out  of  that  expe- 
dition which  was  brought  to  so  disasti'ous  a  termination  at  the 
Battle  of  Chaeronea. 

Having  satisfied  our  curiosity,  we  returned  to  the  village  of 
Drachmani,  and  thence  pursued  our  way  toward  Pundonitza, 
crossmg  Mount  Cnemis  near  a  hill  of  remarkable  turret-like 
form,  called  Fontana.  On  reaching  the  top  of  the  ridge,  it 
became  evident,  from  the  absence  of  fresh  tracks  on  the  road, 
that  our  baggage-train  and  J.,  who  accompanied  it,  though 

*  The  prytanes  \vei"e  a  committee  of  fifty  members  of  the  council, 
who  pi'esided  in  the  assembhes  of  the  people,  and  supped  every  day  at 
the  public  expense  in  the  prytaneum. 

t  Demosthenes  de  Corona,  p.  284. 


A    PAPAS    AT   PL'NDOMTZA.  253 

they  started  before  us,  had  not  passed  that  "way.  8ome  peas- 
ants whom  we  met  also  confirmed  our  surmises  by  saying  that 
they  liad  met  no  travelers.  In  such  a  predicament,  we  con- 
cluded to  leave  Nicholas  in  the  pass  until  nightfall,  w^hile  H. 
and  I  rode  on  alone  to  Pundonitza.  The  path,  it  is  true,  was 
not  very  distinct  at  all  times,  and  it  led  through  a  district 
overgrown  with  bushes  and  trees ;  but,  by  following  the  gen- 
eral direction  given  to  us,  we  descended  the  ridge  in  safety, 
and  in  a  couple  of  hours  found  our  way  to  the  village. 

Our  first  inquiry  on  arriving  was  for  the  Papas,  or  parish 
priest,  at  whose  house  we  had  been  told  we  should  find  a  wel- 
come, and  the  best  quarters.  On  either  score  we  found  no 
reason  to  complain.  The  priest  seemed  to  -welcome  us  with 
unfeigned  cordiality,  and  was  overjoyed  on  finding  out  who 
had  sent  us  to  his  house,  and  that  we  could  keep  up  a  conver- 
sation with  him  in  his  own  language.  He  introduced  us  to 
his  2^ap'^i'di(i  (for  he  was  a  married  man),  and  as  it  was  late  in 
the  afternoon,  and  we  might  well  be  hungry,  insisted  on  set- 
ting before  us  his  own  simple  fare — bread  and  cheese.  We 
were  particularly  pleased  with  the  manners  and  spirit  of  this 
poor  and  illiterate  priest,  v/ho  forcibly  reminded  me  of  Papa 
Trechas,  whom  all  who  have  read  Coray's  introduction  to  Ho- 
mer's Iliad  will  remember.  In  politics  his  views  were  liberal, 
free  from  the  Russian  tendencies  that  render  the  influence  of 
the  clergy  so  baneful  to  the  country's  welfare ;  while  his  re- 
ligion seemed  heartfelt,  for  the  most  part  devoid  of  bigotry, 
and  very  evangelical. 

The  cool  evening  air  tempted  us  to  spend  our  leisure  mo- 
ments in  strolling  to  the  ruined  fort,  a  short  distance  off.  The 
village  stands  upon  an  extended  plateau,  on  the  very  edge  of 
the  principal  declivity  of  Mount  Cnemis,  which,  on  the  east, 
falls  abruptly  toward  the  sea,  but  t<5ward  the  north  overlooks 
the  plain  of  Lamia  and  Thessaly.  Just  at  the  commencement 
of  the  descent  stood  the  ruined  Turkish  or  Frank  castle,  to 
whose  picturesque  rains  we  directed  our  steps,  in  order  to  gain 
the  best  glimpse  of  the  country  beyond.  The  hillock  on  which 
it  stands  must  have  been  fortified  even  in  the  most  remote  an- 
tiquity, so  important,  in  a  military  point  of  view,  is  the  situ- 
ation.   Accordingly,  we  found  some  remnants  of  true  Hellenic 


•^54  THERMOl'YJv.^i    AND    EUB<i;A. 

walls,  which  can  be  distinguished  from  all  subsequent  additions 
or  repairs  by  the  large  and  regular  blocks  of  which  they  arc 
composed,  and  the  entire  absence  of  mortar  in  the  seams. 
Pundonitza  was  more  prominent,  however,  in  the  Middle  Ages 
than  either  before  or  afterward,  and  became  the  seat  of  a  Mar- 
quis, who  ruled  over  a  large  Frank  territory,  comprising  a 
great  part  of  ancient  Locris  and  Phocis.*  But  of  the  Frank 
period  nothing  remains  beyond  a  ruined  chapel  and  a  cistern 
or  two  of  large  size. 

We  had  nearly  given  up  all  hope  of  seeing  our  companions 
before  the  next  morning,  when,  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock, 
they  drove  into  the  court.  Nicholas  had  succeeded  in  meet- 
ing them,  and  thus  relieved  us  from  the  disagreeable  necessity 
of  losing  another  day  at  this  place. 

On  the  morrow,  we  commenced  at  an  early  hour  to  de- 
scend from  our  high  position  into  the  lower  part  of  Locris. 
The  eye  could  not  weary  of  contemplating  this  extended  pros- 
pect. The  quiet  Maliac  Bay,  or  Gulf  of  Lamia,  shut  in  by 
the  island  of  Eubcea  on  the  right,  occupied  the  central  por- 
tion. To  the  left  was  the  fertile  plain  of  Lamia,  watered  by 
the  Sperchius,  and  beyond  rose  the  high  mountain  range  of 
Otlirys,  the  northern  boundary  of  modern  Greece.  We  were 
approaching  ThermopyUi:,  a  couple  of  hours  or  more  distant 
from  Pundonitza.  First,  we  saw  on  our  left,  between  the 
high  and  precipitous  hills  above  Thermopyla:;  and  the  higher 
Mount  CaJlidromus,  the  pass — rough  and  difficult,  it  is  true, 
but  yet  practicable — disclosed  to  Xerxes'  army  by  the  treach- 
ery and  avarice  of  a  neighboring  peasant,  Epialtes.  Through 
it  Hydarnes  was  sent,  with  a  detachment  of  the  Persian  force, 
to  turn  the  position  of  the  Lacedtemonians,  for  whom  nothing 
now  remained  but  death  or  instant  retreat.  Descending  far- 
ther, we  passed  a  rivulet  or  two,  one  of  which  was  doubtless 
the  fountain  where  the  Spartans  Avere  discovered  by  the  Per- 
sian spies  adorning  their  hair  previous  to  the  contest.  Here, 
too,  was  the  supposed  tumulus  of  the  Greeks,  over  which 
were  inscribed  those  world-renowned  lines  : 

"  Go,  stranger,  tell  the  Spartans,  here, 
Obedient  to  their  laM's,  we  lie." 

*  Buchon,  La  Grfece  Continental  et  la  Morce,  p.  SS."). 


Near  this  famous  spot  are  yet  seen  the  foundations  of  the  first 
part  of  a  great  northern  wall,  built  in  a  subsequent  age,  and 
stretching  from  this  point  to  the  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Corinth, 
beyond  Delphi.  The  builders  doubtless  hoped,  by  this  per- 
manent construction,  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  any  future 
barbarian  inroads  ;  but  their  postei'ity  received  a  lesson,  often 
taught,  but  rarely  learned,  except  by  bitter  experience,  that 
neither  Avails  nor  fortresses,  be  they  ever  so  strong,  are  of 
much  avail  when  they  cease  to  be  defended  by  the  courage 
and  intrepidity  of  patriots  and  freemen. 


VIEW   OF  TUEKMOPYL,«. 


"We  reached  Thermopyl*  at  length,  and  found  the  spot 
very  different  from  our  preconceived  notions.  But  this  dis- 
appointment was  greatly  owing  to  the  changes  which  nature 
herself  has  effected.  Thermopylas  is  no  longer  the  narrow  pass 
■\Ahere  a  few  hundred  brave  Spartans  could  for  days  hold  at 
bay  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  enemy.  A  wide  strip 
of  land  now  stretches  three  miles  to  the  sea,  where,  as  Herod- 
otus tells  us,  the  space  between  the  mountain  and  the  sea  was 
once  narrow,  and  there  was  but  a  single  road.*  In  spring 
and  winter  a  great  part  of  this  is  rendered  impassable  by  the 
*  Herodotus,  7,  200. 


2oU  THERMOFYL^    ANU    EUBOiA. 

marshy  character  of  the  soil;  but  in  midsummer  an  army 
might  march  through  any  part  of  it.  This  is  the  result  of 
the  long-continued  action  of  the  Sperchius  and  other  smaller 
streams,  whose  waters  are  surcharged  with  alluvial  matter, 
sand,  and  mud,  which  they  deposit  at  their  mouths.  Thus, 
it  is  not  only  a  well-ascertained  fact  that  the  plain  of  La- 
mia has  extended  itself  very  considerably  toward  the  east  and 
the  island  of  Euboea,  but  the  same  process  is  seen  strikingly 
in  present  operation.  The  Sperchius,  or  rather  each  of  its 
two  mouths,  has  formed  for  itself  a  long  and  curved  tongue 
of  land,  jutting  out  like  a  pier,  through  which  it  flows  into 
the  sea.  Two  such  moles  on  opposite  sides  of  the  Maliac 
Gulf  have  stretched  far  toward  each  other,  and  may,  in  the 
coui'se  of  centui'ies,  unite  and  inclose  a  salt  lake,  which  may 
some  day  be  drained.  It  Avill  be  readily  imagined  that  such 
a  process,  continued  for  a  series  of  yeai's,  owing  to  the  shift- 
ing of  the  beds  of  the  rivers,  would  produce  a  remarkable 
change  in  the  physical  aspect  of  the  country. 

Here,  then,  it  was  that  Leonidas,  with  his  gallant  band, 
met  the  overwhelming  forces  of  the  Persian  king,  and  per- 
ished in  the  unsuccessful  conflict.  Here,  too,  the  Roman  le- 
gions were  opposed  by  a  less  resolute  people.  And,  last  of 
all,  the  modern  Greeks  showed  almost  equal  heroism  in  the 
defence  of  the  pass,  when  the  operations  of  nature,  during 
long  ages,  had  combined  with  the  inventions  of  modern  art  to 
render  ineffectual  all  valor  and  resolution.  What  has  given 
to  the  spot  such  importance,  both  in  ancient  and  in  modern 
times,  is  the  fact  that  the  only  road  from  the  north,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  peninsula,  must  enter  Greece  at  this  point. 

Next  to  the  battle-scene  itself,  that  Avhich  interested  me 
most  Avas  the  celebrated  hot  spring,  from  which  the  neigh- 
borhood derived  its  name  of  "Thermopylae,"  or  the  "Warm 
Gates."  There  are,  indeed,  two  springs ;  but  the  most  re- 
markable, by  far,  is  that  which  rises  in  the  very  midst  of 
the  ancient  pass.  Beyond  a  couple  of  small  salt  ponds  we 
reached  a  plain  composed  of  a  white  calcareous  deposit,  formed 
by  the  water  flowing  from  the  spring.  Even  twigs  remain- 
ing a  short  time  immersed  in  it,  are  incrusted  as  with  stone ; 
but  it  is  brittle,  and  cracks  to  pieces  when  handled.      As  we 


THESSALY    I'HTHIOTIS.  U57 

rode  over  the  crust,  it  gave  forth  a  hollow  sound.  We  tasted 
of  the  water,  and  found  it  medicinal,  with  a  strong  odor  of 
sulphur.  Its  tempei'ature  is  about  100^  Fahrenheit.  There 
was  a  company  of  peasants  from  the  neighborhood,  who  had 
come  to  prove  the  healing  powers  of  the  water ;  but  they  in- 
formed us  that  the  springs  at  Neo-Patras,  the  ancient  Hy- 
pate,  a  few  miles  up  the  valley  of  the  Sperchius,  were  in  much 
better  repute.  If  our  time  had  permitted,  we  should  have 
been  glad  to  make  a  trip  thither. 

We  now  entered  Thessaly  Phthiotis,  whose  boundary  is 
somewhere  about  Thermopylie.  Its  principal  town.  Lamia, 
or  Zeitun,  as  it  was  called  till  recently  by  the  modern  Greeks, 
stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  plain,  pleasantly  situated  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountains.  Its  acropolis  occupied  a  hill  to 
the  southeast  of  it.  Lamia  is  said  to  be  a  neat  and  Avell-built 
town ;  but  we  did  not  turn  from  our  route  to  visit  it.  The 
A^icinity  has  been  the  scene  of  a  number  of  important  engage- 
ments ;  and  Lamia  itself  underwent  a  long  siege  shortly  after 
the  death  of  Alexander  the  Great.  We  rode  on  to  the  right, 
keeping  as  near  to  the  head  of  the  Gulf  as  was  possible,  in 
A-iew  of  the  marshy  nature  of  the  ground,  the  whole  of  which 
in  winter  becomes  a  perfect  bog.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Birbos,  where  Ave  stopped  for  a  Avhile  at  noon,  we 
found  an  encampment  of  soldiers,  who  were  occupied  in  tar- 
get-shooting. In  this  neighborhood,  however,  they  see  some 
real  service  from  time  to  time ;  for  we  were  now  entering  the 
land  of  robbers  par  excellence.  True,  all  Rumeli,  or  Northern 
Greece,  is  more  or  less  infested  by  them ;  but  it  is  here  that 
they  may  be  said  to  abound.  The  Turkish  frontier  is  so  near, 
that  they  can  with  ease  betake  themselves  thither  when  pur- 
sued ;  and  it  is  even  asserted  that  they  receive  encouragement 
and  protection  from  the  local  Turkish  authorities. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Gulf  Ave  fell  in  Avith  the  new  road 
from  Lamia  to  its  port,  Stylida,  the  village  AAdiere  Ave  intend- 
ed passing  the  night.  This  Avas  the  first  carriage-road  we 
had  seen  for  weeks ;  for,  throughout  all  the  rural  districts  of 
Greece,  all  transportation  must  be  effected  by  the  means  of 
beasts  of  burden.  We  reached  Stylida  at  an  eariy  hour,  and 
obtained  good  rooms.     We  had  thought  of  attempting  the  as- 


258  TllEKMOPYI..1i    AND    EUU<£A. 

cent  of  Mount  Othrys  on  the  morrow ;  but  the  impossibility 
of  finding  mules,  the  troubled  state  of  the  country,  and  the 
reluctance  of  those  who  should  have  served  as  guides  to  incur 
the  risk  of  falling  into  the  banditti's  hands,  led  us  to  forego 
the  excursion,  and  spend  the  next  day  in  a  visit  to  the  ruins 
of  Larissa  Cremaste. 

Before  leaving  Stylida  in  the  morning,  we  took  care  to  se- 
cure a  couple  of  caiques,  which  were,  during  the  course  of  the 
day,  to  drop  down  the  Gulf  as  far  as  the  hamlet  of  Achladi. 
There  we  were  to  meet  them,  and  be  carried  over  to  the  op- 
posite coast  of  Euboea.  We  again  fell  into  a  common  foot- 
path, now  leading  through  thickets  of  tangled  bushes,  and 
now  through  fields  of  wheat  and  barley.  The  soil  appeared 
exceedingly  rich,  but  less  cultivated  than  almost  any  other 
portion  of  Greece — a  circumstance,  doubtless,  due  to  the  ex- 
treme insecurity  of  the  entire  region,  and  the  impotence  of 
the  government  to  ward  ofi^  from  the  unfortunate  inhabitants 
the  miseries  of  rapine  and  devastation.  At  a  small  village 
named  Echinus  we  stopped  to  examine  the  remains  of  old 
Gi'eek  walls  of  regular  masonry,  and  lunched  at  the  village 
of  Eachi. 

We  turned  in  at  the  house  of  the  Papas,  where  a  mat  was 
spread  for  us ;  and,  while  we  ate,  he  regaled  us  with  a  de- 
tailed account  of  an  extensive  robbery  committed  here  a  week 
before.  Early  in  the  morning,  one  of  the  band,  in  disguise, 
had  found  his  way  into  the  village  as  a  spy,  and  made  sure 
that  almost  the  whole  male  population  was  dispersed  in  the 
distant  fields,  too  far  away  to  learn  of  the  attack  until  it  was 
too  late.  On  his  return,  the  miscreants,  who,  to  the  number 
of  forty-five,  had  been  prowling  in  the  outskirts,  being  satis- 
fied that  the  way  was  clear,  entered  Rachi  at  about  nine 
o'clock  A.M.  The  first  direction  of  Semos,  the  captain  of  the 
band,  was  to  seize  all  the  fire-arms  in  the  village,  and  to  place 
the  inmates  of  the  fifty  houses — women  and  children  almost 
exclusively — in  close  confinement,  while  the  robbers  searched 
for  all  that  Avas  valuable  and  portable.  INIoney,  however,  was 
what  most  moved  their  cupidity.  The  numei-ous  silver  coins 
forming  the  most  showy  part  of  the  head-dress,  and  ornament- 
ing the  person  of  the  women,  Avere  of  course  the  first  to  be 


AN    INROAD    OF    ROBBERS.  259 

laid  hold  of.  But  the  ruffians  were  not  so  easily  satisfied ; 
and,  even  after  their  search,  they  suspected  that  much  property 
remained  hidden.  As  in  Turkey,  the  (xrecks  and  other  rayalis 
are  accustomed  to  conceal  their  wealth  from  the  rapacity  of 
the  Mussulman,  under  the  garb  of  poverty,  so  has  the  unset- 
tled condition  of  this  border  country  compelled  almost  eveiy 
peasant  to  use  similar  precautions.  Every  dollar  that  can  be 
spared  is  added  to  the  hoard  concealed  in  some  hole  in  the 
ground.  The  process  resorted  to  by  the  robbers  for  discover- 
ing the  whereabouts  of  these  hidden  repositories  was  a  cruel, 
but,  as  we  should  judge,  a  pretty  effectual  one.  A  kettle  full 
of  oil  was  set  on  the  fire.  If  the  unfortunate  woman,  who  pro- 
tested that  she  was  ignorant  where  her  husband  had  hid  his 
treasure,  relented  in  view  of  the  coming  torture,  she  was  not 
molested.  But  if  she  persisted  in  her  obstinacy,  or  really  did 
not  know  Avliere  it  was,  the  scalding  fluid  was  poured  upon 
her  neck,  breast,  and  body.  Five  or  six  were  subjected  to 
this  inhuman  treatment ;  others  were  merely  beaten  ;  and  one, 
whom  we  saw,  boasted  that,  though  the  ruffians  stabbed  her  in 
several  places,  she  had  not  betrayed  her  husband's  trust. 

ISTotwithstanding  all  this  suffering,  strange  to  say,  but  one 
person  was  murdered,  and  that  was  a  man  against  Avhom  one 
of  the  robbers,  himself  a  native  of  the  place,  entertained  a  per- 
sonal grudge.  A  young  man,  who  happened  to  be  in  the  vil- 
lage, succeeded  in  creeping  off"  to  one  of  the  neighboring  hills, 
where  he  discharged  his  gun  as  a  signal.  The  country  people 
soon  came  to  the  rescue.  The  band  were  thus,  after  a  stay  of 
two  hours,  compelled  to  abandon  the  village,  though  they  had 
not  ransacked  one  half  of  the  houses.  The  mustered  peasants, 
with  a  few  soldiers,  pursued  the  robbers ;  but  though,  after 
journeying  five  hours  beyond  the  Turkish  line,  they  came  up 
Avith  them,  they  recovered  only  some  of  the  heavier  goods  that 
were  di-opped  in  the  flight. 

Our  host,  the  priest,  complained  with  bitterness  of  his  own 
misfortunes.  He  said  that  until  lately  he  had  been  ejihemerius, 
or  curate,  of  Xerochori,  in  Euboea ;  but  he  had  been  tempted 
to  leave  it,  by  the  promise  of  a  larger  salary  and  a  more 
liealthy  situation.  Fortunately  for  himself,  he  was  absent  at 
the  time  of  the  inroad ;  but  his  wife,  the  papadia,  was  beaten 


2«JU  THERMOPyi^yK    AND    EUBCKA. 

and  ill-used,  like  the  rest  of  the  women.  The  priest  estimated 
his  loss  at  three  hundred  and  seventy-seven  drachms,  and  that 
of  the  entire  village,  according  to  the  schedule  which  the  chief 
magistrate  of  the  district  had  drawn  up  the  day  before  our  ar- 
rival, could  not  be  less  than  twenty  thousand  drachms  (about 
$3350).  When  we  rose  to  take  leave,  the  papas  begged  us  to 
speak  to  his  old  parishioners  about  him,  and  let  them  know 
of  his  misfortune.  We  fulfilled  the  commission,  a  couple  of 
days  after,  at  Xerochori. 

Achladi,  the  little  hamlet  where  we  had  aiTanged  to  spend 
the  night,  was  but  twenty  minutes'  ride  farther.  Our  pack- 
horses  preceded  us,  while  we  dismissed  our  escort  of  two  gens- 
(Tarmes,  whom  Nicholas  had  insisted  on  our  taking  in  the 
morning  from  Stylida,  with  a  small  remuneration  that  per- 
fectly satisfied  them  for  their  long  walk.  The  last  we  saw  of 
them,  they  were  probably  on  the  way  for  the  nearest  grog- 
shop, to  take  a  glass  of  reiki  before  retracing  their  steps.  As 
for  ourselves,  we  felt  rather  more  secure  without  than  with 
them,  as  two  soldiers  are  little  protection  against  a  dozen 
banditti,  even  setting  aside  the  chance  of  their  passing  over  to 
the  enemy,  and  coming  in  for  a  share  of  the  spoils.  Kelieved 
from  solicitude  on  this  score,  we  now  turned  our  horses'  heads 
inland,  and  rode  more  rapidly  toward  Gardiki.  The  country 
was  wild  and  picturesque,  and  we  found  the  hill  above  Gar- 
diki a  lovely  spot.  Here  Avere  the  ruins  of  Lan'ssa  Cremaste, 
originally  an  old  Pelasgic  town,  as  its  first  name  indicates : 
the  term  Cremaste,  or  "  hanging,"  is  in  allusion  to  its  steep 
and  lofty  site.  The  summit  must  be  five  or  six  hundred  feet 
above  the  village,  and  a  thousand  above  the  sea.  We  made 
the  ascent  by  following  the  westernmost  of  the  walls.  These 
are  of  great  interest  in  a  military  point  of  view.  Built  of 
large  blocks  of  stone,  laid  in  what  approximates  to  regular 
courses,  they  seem  to  date  from  the  very  earliest  historic  period. 
The  gates  are  peculiarly  worthy  of  notice.  They  are  set 
obliquely  to  the  wall,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  follow  that 
invariable  rule  in  Greek  military  works,  that  the  enemy  should 
be  compelled  to  expose  his  right  side,  which  Avas  unprotected 
by  the  shield,  to  the  arrows  and  other  missiles  of  those  who 
occupied  the  walls.     Having  with  me  no  plan  of  the  fortifica- 


DETENTION    BY    A    HEALTH    OFFICER.  261 

tions,  I  attempted  to  commit  to  paper  some  sketch  of  their 
outline.  This  I  soon  gave  up  in  despair ;  for  to  have  traced 
all  the  complications  of  walls,  running  in  so  many  different  di- 
rections, would  have  been  the  work  of  a  day.  Had  it  been 
only  for  the  superb  view  obtained  from  this  remarkable  spot, 
we  would  have  been  amply  repaid  for  our  ride  through  the 
sun,  on  a  hot  summer's  day. 

At  Achladi  we  found  half  a  dozen  houses ;  the  place  is  not 
even  laid  down  on  the  maps.  Our  arrival  was  signalized  by 
an  outburst  of  wrath  on  the  part  of  Nicholas,  who  looked  in 
vain  up  and  down  the  coast  for  any  sign  of  the  caiques,  which 
were  to  have  been  here  this  morning.  The  poor  agoyates  came 
in  for  a  part  of  the  obloquy  that  was  poured  indiscriminately 
on  every  individual  and  object  within  reach.  Even  Janni, 
our  inoiFensive  Arab,  was  surprised  with  a  volley  of  oaths  ;  to 
which,  however,  accustomed  in  a  measure,  he  paid  no  more 
attention  than  turning  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  sudden  squall. 
Having  vented  all  the  expletives  he  could  muster,  our  Greek 
rested  satisfied,  and  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours  exerted 
himself  to  prove  that  he  was  as  proficient  in  the  art  of  making 
himself  agreeable  as  in  savage  passion  and  abuse. 

Fortunately  for  his  temper  and  ours,  too,  when  we  stepped 
to  the  window  of  our  room  early  the  next  morning,  we  be- 
held the  caiques  leisurely  coming  up  to  the  village.  While 
the  men  were  busy  shipping  the  horses,  and  getting  out  the 
necessary  papers,  we  had  ample  time  for  a  bath  and  for  scour- 
ing the  neighborhood  in  search  of  antiquities.  Our  guide  sent 
us  on  a  fruitless  excursion  to  the  top  of  a  hill,  where  we  found 
nothing  to  compensate  for  a  hot  walk.  On  our  return  the 
men  were  not  ready  to  start.  Every  petty  harbor  has  a  health- 
officer,  or  hygeionomos ;  and  no  craft  is  allowed  to  sail  A^-ithout 
clearance  papers  from  him.  The  health-inspector  of  Achladi 
happened  to  be  on  a  visit  to  Athens,  and  had  left  in  his  stead 
a  substitute,  who  could  neither  read  nor  A\Tite  ;  and  he  was  off 
somewhere  in  the  fields  ploughing.  His  secretary  was  at  Gar- 
diki,  and  had  to  be  sent  for.  When  at  length  ho  arrived,  he 
demanded  as  his  fee  a  drachm  for  each  person  and  beast,  in- 
stead of  one  for  each  boat,  to  which  he  was  entitled.  Here 
was  an  opportunity  for  another  storm  on  the  part  of  Nicholas  : 


2G2  THEKMOPYL^    AND    EUBCKA. 

but  on  our  announcing  that  we  would  certainly  lodge  a  com- 
plaint at  Athens,  the  extortionate  official  became  more  tract- 
able, and  allowed  us  to  weigh  anchor. 

The  wind  was  conti-ary.  From  noon  to  night  we  were 
tacking  about  from  one  side  of  the  narrow  strait  to  the  other. 
At  one  time  we  hove  to  near  a  favorable  spot  for  Janni  to 
prepare  our  dinner ;  and  we  took  advantage  of  the  half  hour 
to  row  ashore,  and  using  the  solitary  drum  of  a  column  for  a 
-desk,  we  committed  to  paper  some  incidents  of  travel.  The 
shore  Avas  wild,  wooded,  and  picturesque.  Not  a  house  was 
to  be  seen,  nor  a  trace  of  man's  works,  but  in  a  ruined  chapel 
near  the  strand.  We  had  expected  to  arrive  at  Oreos  before 
dark,  in  time  to  reach  Xerochori,  so  as  to  have  a  quiet  Sab- 
bath at  that  place.  But  the  head  winds  delayed  us,  and  it 
was  early  on  the  morrow  when  we  landed  at  the  former  hamlet, 
after  a  miserable  night  spent  on  the  deck  of  one  of  our  little 
caiques,  without  room  even  to  stretch  ourselves  out  to  sleep. 
A  sail  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  through  the  Straits  of  Arte- 
misium  had  taken  almost  as  many  hours.  The  scene  of  the 
great  naval  contest  between  the  Greek  and  Persian  fleets, 
which  took  place  at  the  very  time  that  Leonidas  was  defend- 
ing the  Pass  of  ThermopyliB  on  the  main  land,  Ave  did  not 
cross.  It  lies  farther  down,  and  nearer  the  sea.  We  saw  it 
afterward  very  distinctly,  on  our  way  from  Xerochori  to 
Chalcis,  when  riding  over  the  highlands. 

Oreos  is  now  a  mere  landing-place,  though  in  ancient  times 
one  of  the  most  important  towns  of  Eubcea.  Eiding  up  to 
Xerochori,  we  passed  an  eminence  lying  back  of  it,  surround- 
ed by  a  wall  of  ancient  materials.  Li  early  times  the  name 
of  the  town  was  Histiasa ;  but  from  the  days  of  Demosthenes, 
who  frequently  mentions  it,  it  has  borne  that  of  Oreos.  About 
midway  to  Xerochori,  we  stopped  a  while,  at  the  hamlet  of 
St.  John's,  to  allow  J.  time  to  visit  the  estate  of  a  cousin  of 
his,  Mr.  Mimon,  who  was  absent.  It  is  extensive,  taking  in 
a  number  of  villages. 

At  Xerochori — which  occupies  any  thing  but  a  diy  situa- 
tion, as  its  name  would  import — we  found  poor  accommoda- 
tions for  the  Sabbath.  As  usual,  our  Sunday  was  the  noisiest 
dav  of  the  Aveek.     After  attending  church  early  in  the  morning. 


EUBtEAN    ESTATES.  263 

the  followers  of  the  Greek  persuasion  give  themselves  up  to 
diversions  or  traffic.  It  was  market-day,  and  the  peasantry 
of  the  district  were  assembled  in  great  numbers.  There  was 
a  public  notary,  whose  little  office,  to  our  great  annoyance, 
adjoined  our  rooms.  He  was  busy  all  day  reading  and  writ- 
ing law  documents,  and  his  room  was  crowded  until  late  in 
the  evening. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  we  resumed  our  journey  toward 
Chalcis.  At  first  the  ground  was  slightly  undulating,  but 
soon  we  commenced  ascending,  and  found  ourselves  among 
those  beautiful  hills  for  which  Euboea  is  noted.  It  was  pre- 
eminently a  "  rolling"  country,  with  an  alternation  of  round- 
topped  eminences  and  fertile  vales,  both  ovei'grown  with  pine- 
trees  of  a  large  size  for  this  quarter  of  the  globe.  The  scenery 
much  resembles  that  of  many  regions  in  the  United  States. 
But  as  yet  there  is  comparatively  little  cultivation  to  be  seen. 
As  we  attained  the  liighest  portion  of  this  end  of  the  island, 
we  began  to  enjoy  a  very  extensive  prospect,  especially  toward 
the  north.  Thei-e  lay  the  Straits  of  Ai'temisium.  Beyond 
the  Gulf  of  Volo,  or  Pegasus,  opened  the  landscape  over  the 
more  distant  plains  of  Thessaly.  On  their  right,  Mount  Pe- 
lion  raised  its  lofty  peak ;  and  far  off  in  the  distance  could 
be  plainly  distinguished  the  snowy  form  of  Mount  Olympus 
itself,  full  eighty  miles  from  us  in  a  direct  line.  Toward  the 
east  the  islands  of  Scopelos  and  Sciatlios  appeared  in  the 
-lEgean. 

At  the  close  of  a  warm  but  pleasant  day's  journey,  after 
spending  full  eleven  hours  in  the  saddle,  we  reached  Achmet 
Aga,  a  pretty  village  situated  in  a  hollow,  about  midway 
down  the  island  to  Chalcis.  We  had  scarcely  settled  our- 
selves fairly  at  the  khan,  before  a  servant  came  to  invite  us  to 
pass  the  night  at  the  house  of  his  master,  Mr.  Noel,  who,  in 
conjunction  with  Mr.  Miiller,  a  Swiss  gentleman,  possesses  a 
large  tract  of  country  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  While  we 
declined  his  invitation,  from  unwiUingness  to  trouble  him 
with  the  presence  of  so  large  a  party,  H.  and  I  (notwithstand- 
ing that  the  state  of  our  wardrobe,  after  an  exposure  to  all 
sorts  of  weather,  was  scarcely  respectable)  went  over  for  an 
hour  or  two.    We  found  M-.  Noel,  a  well-informed  and  socia- 


264  TIIEKMOPYL^    AND    EUB(EA. 

ble  Englishman,  living  in  comparative  solitude,  and  devoting 
himself  to  the  management  of  his  large  farms.  Of  this  inde- 
pendent life  he  appeared  passionately  fond,  though  far  from 
the  society  of  friends  and  from  his  native  country.*  With  our 
cii'cle  at  Athens  he  vv^as,  of  course,  well  acquainted,  especiallv 
with  Dr.  King  and  Mr.  Hill,  whose  kindness  to  him  when  sick 
he  gratefully  acknowledged.  Mr.  Noel  gave  us  much  usefr.i 
information  respecting  the  island  of  Euboea,  whose  long  and 
slender  outline,  over  against  the  coasts  of  Attica,  Boeotia,  and 
Phocis,  every  school-boy  remembers.  Though  its  dimensions 
are  almost  precisely  those  of  Long  Island,  the  population,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  N.,  is  but  seventy-five  thousand.  So  sparse  a 
population  is  insufficient  to  cultivate  the  island  to  any  consid- 
erable extent  with  the  agricultural  implements  now  in  use. 
The  fields  are  said  not  to  yield  much  more  than  a  third  as 
much  grain  as  those  of  equal  extent  in  England ;  and  this, 
although  Euboea  was  once  the  granary  of  Athens !  All  the 
land  is  divided  into  two  categoi'ies — one  half  being  sown  with 
wheat,  and  the  other  lying  fallow,  according  to  the  popular 
notion — that  is,  cultivated  with  Indian  corn  or  maize ! 

*  I  am  not  aware  that  Euboea  has  ever  been  considered  pecuHarly 
unsafe  as  a  residence  for  strangers.  On  the  other  hand,  its  natural 
advantages  of  position  and  fertility  of  soil,  as  well  as  the  salubrity  of  its 
climate,  have  been  lauded  in  England,  as  offering  greater  inducements 
to  colonists  than  the  remote  dependencies  of  Great  Britain.  Many  for- 
eigners, too,  have  resided  there  with  pei-fect  impunity  for  twenty  years. 
The  sense  of  security  thus  engendered  has  lately  received  a  fearful 
shock  in  the  murder  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Leeves  at  their  residence 
near  Castaniotissa,  not  many  miles  south  of  Xerochori.  The  first  ac- 
counts of  this  lamentable  occurrence  attributed  it  to  the  numerous  ban- 
ditti expelled  from  Thessaly  by  the  Turkish  troops  in  the  spring  of 
1854.  But  I  have  since  heard  that  it  was  effected  by  a  band  of  peas- 
ants, headed  by  the  son  of  the  village  priest,  who  had  been  befriended  and 
educated  in  part  by  the  benevolence  of  the  deceased.  Not  content  with 
murdering  his  benefactors  for  the  sake  of  the  property  they  had  too  im- 
prudently brought  with  them,  this  fiend  in  human  shape  made  use  of  the 
most  cruel  tortures  to  wring  from  them  a  disclosure  of  the  place  where 
they  had  secreted  their  valuables.  When  the  neighbors  entered  the 
house  after  the  sad  catastrophe,  they  found  the  rooms  spotted  with  the 
l)lood  of  the  victims,  and  handfuls  of  their  hair  scattered  over  the  floor. 
Only  the  infant  son  of  Mr.  Leeves  escaped  the  malignity  of  the  mur- 
derers. 


TKAVELING    IN    EUBtKA.  265 

The  room  in  which  we  slept  at  the  khan  seemed  to  be  used 
as  a  general  repository.  In  one  corner  was  a  large  heap  of 
husked  cotton,  grown  last  year  in  the  neighborhood.  We  had 
possesjiion  of  the  rest  of  the  unfinished  apartment.  Our  horses 
were  accommodated  in  the  stable  directly  beloAv,  while  Nicho- 
las and  the  agoyates  lay  down  and  wrapped  themselves  up  in 
their  huge  capotas  wherever  they  found  space  enougli,  whether 
in  the  entiy  or  on  the  porch. 

Leaving  Achmet-Aga  the  following  day,  we  rode  along  the 
little  valley  through  fields  of  tall  barley,  until  we  soon  began 
to  ascend  a  rather  difficult  defile,  which,  like  many  others  in 
Greece,  goes  by  the  Turkish  name  of  "i>en-e«z'."  In  many 
places  it  was  nothing  but  a  continuous  "scala,"  or  staircase, 
to  which  our  horses,  though  poor  in  other  respects,  were  so 
well  accustomed,  that  they  mounted  them  with  little  apparent 
difficulty,  and  rarely,  if  ever,  stumbled.  *  In  a  few  hours  we 
gained  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  and  then  tlie  full  prospect 
burst  upon  our  eyes,  presenting  us  with  one  of  those  extens- 
ive views  of  the  country  which  are  scarcely  less  attractive 
than  the  sites  of  ruined  cities,  or  the  scenes  of  famous  battles. 
The  central  part  of  the  island  of  Eubosa  lay  before  us.  On 
the  right,  beyond  the  channel,  was  the  Bceotian  coast,  with 
the  summits  of  Cithiieron,  Helicon,  Parnes,  and  Pentelicus,  in 
the  distance.  At  one  place,  along  the  border  of  the  water, 
we  distinguished  the  outlet  of  the  katavothra,  through  which 
the  Lake  Copais  discharges  into  the  sea.  We  could  discern 
Chalcis,  too,  before  us,  and  the  narrow  Euripus  on  the  other 
side.  But  the  most  striking  object  was  the  snow-capped  head 
of  Mount  Delphi,  Avhose  ridge  forms  the  backbone  of  Euboea, 
rising  full  five  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
serving  as  a  beacon  to  the  countiy  far  and  wide. 

During  the  entire  afternoon,  we  were  crossing  a  sterile 
plain  in  the  direction  of  Chalcis.  Here  once  more  we  joined 
a  road  traveled  by  carts.  As  the  road  ran  for  a  distance 
along  the  shore,  we  noticed  the  sand  wet  for  a  foot  or  more 
above  the  water,  showing  that  it  had  fallen  from  the  high- 
water  mark.  This  is  the  only  part  of  the  Mediterranean 
where  the  phenomenon  of  the  tides  is  perceptible,  and  it  is 
due  to  the  narrowness  of  the  channel  between  Euboea  and  the 

M 


266  THERMOPYLiE    AND    EUB(EA. 

main  land.  "VVe  suffered  much  from  the  heat  on  the  low, 
sandy  plain,  and  were  really  glad  to  reach  the  gates  of  Chal- 
cis.  This  to'vvn  is  situated  on  a  low,  sandy  promontory.  Its 
moat  and  wall  have  fallen  into  neglect,  and  only  an  embank- 
ment and  a  rude  ditch  now  occupy  their  place.  There  is, 
however,  an  interior  fortress,  or  castro  ;  and  much  of  the  city 
used  to  be,  and  still  is,  inside  of  it.  At  a  distance,  Chalcis 
presents  a  picturesque  appearance,  by  reason  of  two  large 
domes  of  old  Turkish  mosques  that  have  been  suffered  to  re- 
main. The  modern  aqueduct  winds  across  the  plain,  and 
may  readily  be  mistaken  for  the  remains  of  some  ancient 
work.  As  we  rode  through  the  streets,  we  could  not  but  no- 
tice how  much  better  Chalcis  is  built  than  the  towns  we  had 
recently  seen.  The  streets,  bordered  with  shops  and  stands, 
forming  the  agora  or  bazar,  presented  a  scene  of  considerable 
activity,  and  of  much  wrangling.  Our  ears  were  saluted  by 
a  variety  of  discordant  cries  from  the  country  merchants ; 
and  we  were  obliged  to  jostle  through  the  crowd,  crying 
•'varda"  ("take  care")  to  the  pedestrians.  Now  and  then  a 
donkey,  laden  with  a  huge  basket  on  either  side,  came  bi'ush- 
iug  past  us,  compelling  us  to  draw  up  our  legs  to  prevent 
their  being  crushed  between  the  beasts.  Or,  on  turning  a 
corner,  we  came  suddenly  upon  a  train  of  the  same  patient 
quadrupeds,  down  the  narrow  street  in  single  file,  each  hid- 
den beneath  a  towering  mass  of  dry  brush,  like  so  many  per- 
ambulating hay-stacks.  Either  a  hasty  retreat  was  necessary, 
or  we  found  a  convenient  refuge  in  some  adjoining  portal  un- 
til the  way  was  clear.  The  cause  of  all  this  activity  was,  that 
Chalcis  is  the  only  important  place  on  the  island,  the  mart 
for  its  products,  and  the  capital  of  one  of  the  nomes,  or  dis- 
tricts, of  Greece. 

A  curious  discovery  was  made,  a  few  years  since,  at  Chalcis. 
A  piece  of  the  wall  surrounding  the  citadel  accidentally  fell ; 
and  behind  it  there  was  perceived  to  be  an  opening.  This 
being  enlarged,  proved  to  be  a  passage  leading  to  a  room, 
where  were  found  a  pile  of  coarse  bags  containing  an  enormous 
quantity  of  ancient  armor.  The  articles  were  carefully  trans- 
ported to  Athens  by  order  of  the  king,  and  inspected  by  the 
historian  Buchon.     He  pronounced  them  to  belong  to  the  first 


DISCOVERY   OF    ANCIENT   ARMOR.  2G7 

few  years  of  the  fourteenth  century.  He  supposes  that  after 
the  bloody  battle  fought  at  Scripu — the  ancient  Orchomenus 
in  Boeotia — a.d.  1311,  the  defensive  armor  of  those  who  had 
been  slain  was  gathered  together,  and  laid  in  this  receptacle, 
from  motives  of  reverence  and  curiosity.  There  it  lay  for  five 
hundred  and  thirty  years,  until  the  casual  falling  of  the  wall 
brought  it  to  light.  This  hypothesis,  so  interesting  from  its 
historical  allusions,  is  fully  confirmed  by  the  variety  noticeable 
in  the  style  of  the  helmets,  about  one  hundred  in  number. 
Some  are  of  the  kind  worn  by  the  Catalans ;  others  resemble 
those  of  the  Turcopole  troops ;  while  the  majority  seem  to 
have  belonged  to  the  unfortunate  Frank  knights  who  fell  in 
the  marshy  plain,  and  were  overpowered  by  their  opponents. 
All  are  rusty  and  battered,  having  evidently  seen  service ;  so 
that  it  does  not  appear  that  they  were  placed  in  this  hidden 
chamber,  as  in  an  arsenal,  for  future  use.* 

*  Buchon,  La  Grece  Continentale  et  la  Moree,  p.  134. 


TUE   ACEOPOLIS  OF  CENOE. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THEBES  AND  ELEUSIS. 

Clean  beds,  a  tight  roof,  and  windows  provided  with  panes 
of  glass — these  were  comforts  not  to  be  despised  by  a  company 
of  travelers  who  had  been  suffering  from  a  continuous  exposure 
to  vermin,  rain,  and  wind,  in  the  rude  huts  of  tliQ  peasants. 
With  such  inducements  to  tarry,  we  were  reluctant  to  leave 
Chalcis  when  Nicholas  came  to  inform  us  it  was  time  to  rise 
and  renew  our  journey.  We  can'ied  with  us  a  pleasant  re- 
membrance of  the  place  to  Athens  itself.  At  length,  when 
the  horses  were  once  more  laden,  and  all  was  ready,  we  sallied 
forth.  To  reach  the  bridge  from  Euboea  to  Eoumeli,  it  was 
necessary  to  traverse  most  of  the  town.  On  entering  the  in- 
closure  of  the  castro,  we  noticed,  in  more  than  one  place,  the 
well-known  winged  lion  of  St.  Mark,  the  emblem  of  the  do- 
minion of  republican  Venice.  Within  the  fortifications  there 
are  many  scattered  fragments  of  sarcophagi,  and  other  ancient 
works  of  art.  We  wished  to  see  a  large  cannon  that  was  said 
to  exist  here,  similar  to  the  famous  one  of  the  Bosphorus ;  but 
found,  on  inquiry,  that  it  had  been  either  broken  up  or  melted 
into  coin.     We  saw,  however,  some  of  its  enormous  balls,  two 


ANCIENT    GREEK    KOAD.  2(j0 

I'l vl  or  more  in  diameter,  adorning  the  walls  of  the  castle. 
There  is  nothing  of  particular  interest  in  the  city  of  Chalcis, 
Avhich  lias  a  population  of  eight  or  ten  thousand  souls.  The 
most  striking  fact  is  its  position  at  the  narrowest  part  of  the 
long  "sound,"  where  communication  between  the  main  land 
and  Eubcea  is  easiest  and  most  natural. 

On  reaching  the  bridge  from  Chalcis  to  the  main  land,  our 
first  impression  was  of  astonishment  at  the  smallness  of  the 
passage.  Toward  the  upper  end  of  the  island,  it  is  at  least 
seven  or  eight  miles  wide  in  some  places;  but  here  it  con- 
tracts to  a  strait  apparently  not  more  than  a  hundred  or  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  breadth.  Here  stands  the  celebrated 
hridge  of  the  Eurijjus,  a  modern  work,  occupying  the  site  of  an 
ancient  structure.  It  is  built  of  stone,  and  i^  divided  into 
two  parts,  by  a  fort  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  passage. 
Upon  paying  toll,  we  were  allowed  to  cross,  and  were  once 
more  in  Boeotia.  On  this  side  of  the  strait  there  is  a  high 
hill,  surmounted  by  a  fortress  of  Turkish  construction,  which 
quite  commands  the  city  of  Chalcis. 

AVe  took  the  ancient  road,  leading  from  Chalcis  to  Tanagra 
and  Thebes,  while  following  the  sliore  of  the  bay  of  the  Euri- 
pu?,  south  of  the  bridge.  Meanwhile  our  baggage-horses,  di- 
verging to  the  right,  took  the  direct  road  southwestward  to 
Tliebes.  The  old  Greek  thoroughfares  differed  widely  from 
the  splendid  Roman  roads — those  vast  arteries  connecting  the 
whole  body  of  the  empire.  Their  construction  was  much 
more  simple,  and  the  outlay  comparatively  small.  The  storj- 
of  CEdipus  shows  that  frequently  in  the  mountain  passes — as 
at  that  of  Schiste — the  road  was  merely  wide  enough  for  a 
single  chariot  or  wagon  ;  and  that  when  two  chariots  met,  one 
of  them  was  obliged  to  turn  out  in  order  to  allow  the  other 
to  pass.  "When  the  road  ran  over  a  ledge  of  rocks,  as  in  the 
present  instance,  there  appears  to  have  been  nothing  but  a 
mere  track.  The  ruts  of  the  wheels  are  stiU  to  be  traced  for 
a  long  distance,  cut  deep  into  the  rocks.  It  is  much  more 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  they  were  purposely  chiseled  out, 
than  that  they  were  worn  by  the  continual  passage  of  vehicles 
over  the  hard  limestone,  according  to  the  common  notion. 
Between  the  two  ruts,  the  rock  is  about  as  rough  as  it  was  bv 


270  rilKBES    AND    EI.KUSIS. 

nature,  so  that  it  is  difficult  for  horses  to  travel  over  it  at  any- 
great  speed. 

The  site  of  the  town  of  Aulis  is  little  more  than  half  an 
houi''s  ride  from  Chalcis.  It  was  here  that  the  Greek  fleet 
was  gathered  before  the  war  of  Troy,  and  was  detained  for 
long  months  by  calms  and  adverse  winds.  To  appease  the 
wrath  of  the  gods,  whose  displeasure  the  unpi'opitious  Aveather 
was  supposed  to  indicate,  Agamemnon  must  slay  his  daughter  ; 
and  hence  arises  the  plot  of  the  "  Iphigenia  in  Aulis"  of  Euripi- 
des, the  most  pathetic,  perhaps,  of  the  tragedies  of  that  great 
poet.  Aulis  is  supposed  to  have  stood  on  a  rocky  promontory 
projecting  into  the  Eurious,  on  the  left  of  the  road ;  but  the 
only  trace  of  a  city  is  that  infallible  one — the  abundance  of 
fragments  of  vases  and  pottery.  On  either  side  of  the  prom- 
ontory there  is  a  harbor ;  that  on  the  north  being  shallow, 
and,  as  Strabo  remarks,  far  too  small  to  contain  all  Agamem- 
non's ships.  The  other  is  the  true  harbor,  and  still  bears  the 
name  of  "  Bathys,"  or  the  "  Deep."  Upon  the  shore  of  this 
quiet  sheet,  took  place — unless  we  are  to  look  upon  the  whole 
Homeric  stoiy  as  a  groundless  fabrication — the  bloody  sacri- 
fice of  Iphigenia,  a  fitting  representation  of  the  surrender  of 
every  thing  most  dear  in  life  to  the  demon  Ambition. 

Whatever  may  be  the  truth  of  these  classic  associations,  the 
neighborhood  of  Aulis  is  now  condemned  to  a  death-like 
silence.  Not  a  house  is  to  be  seen ;  and  as  we  left  the  rocky- 
coast,  and  turned  into  the  level  plain  that  extends  to  the 
Asopus,  a  similar  desolation  seemed  to  brood  over  that. 
There  was  no  path  to  follow.  We  struck  boldly  across  the 
uncultivated  Avaste  toward  the  point  where  we  knew  Tanagra 
to  be  situated.  The  ground  was  strewn  with  flowers,  among 
which  the  Larkspur  {Delphinium)  of  our  gardens,  growing  in 
wild  luxuriance,  was  the  most  striking  object.  Broom  and 
other  showy  shrubs  gave  variety  to  the  scene.  Our  ride  of 
three  or  four  hours  over  this  barren  country  was  warm  and 
uninteresting,  and  we  met  not  a  single  human  being  until 
we  reached  the  ruins  of  Tanagra. 

These  consist  chiefly  of  walls  surrounding  a  rising,  and  by 
no  means  level  site,  a  couple  of  miles  in  circumference.  At 
one  place,  near  the  spot  where  we  entered  Tanagra,  there  is 


«ri'K  OF  tana<;ra.  271 

an  old  gate.  We  walked  over  a  part  of  the  area  foraierly  oc- 
cupied by  the  city,  and  discovered  the  ancient  theatre  and  the 
foundation  of  a  temple.  The  position  is  not  a  very  strong 
one,  but  it  commands  a  pleasant  view  southward  over  a  wide 
valley  to  Mount  Parnes  and  Mount  Cithasron,  the  northern 
boundaries  of  Attica.  The  Asopus  runs  near  its  walls,  and 
fertilizes  its  vicinity,  the  whole  of  which,  at  the  time  of  our 
visit,  was  covered  Avith  waving  fields  of  wheat.  We  were 
somewhat  disappointed  as  to  the  extent  of  the  remains  of 
Tanagra ;  for  they  are  by  no  means  commensurate  with  the 
importance  of  a  city  whose  circuit  was  so  extensive,  and 
which  claimed  to  have  ^ven  birth  to  the  great  poet  Corinna. 
In  its  vicinity  a  bloody  battle  was  fought  in  the  time  of  Per- 
icles, between  the  Athenians  and  Spartans. 

Our  horses  were  tired,  and  we  ourselves  were  hungry. 
Finding,  however,  no  shady  spot  to  halt  at,  we  rode  on  to  a 
small  village  a  mile  or  two  distant,  where  we  could  rest  and 
obtain  good  water  to  drink.  It  was  at  an  Albanian  house 
that  we  stopped  for  half  an  hour.  Between  the  Greeks  and 
Albanians,  as  a  general  thing,  there  is  little  love  lost ;  for 
the  Greek  can  never  forget  the  hostile  purposes  ■with  which 
the  other  race  was  encouraged  by  the  Porte  to  settle  within 
the  limits  of  Greece.  It  is  said  that  all  the  Albanians  at 
present  in  the  kingdom  are  Christians  by  profession ;  still, 
there  seems  to  lurk  a  root  of  bitterness  between  them  and  the 
Greeks,  and  it  is  fostered  by  their  difference  of  language  and 
manners. 

On  the  west  of  Tanagra  the  prospect  of  the  interior  of 
Boeotia  is  cut  off  by  a  mountainous  ridge  rumiing  parallel  to 
the  Asopus,  and  behind  this  lies  Thebes.  We  followed  the 
northern  side  during  the  whole  afternoon,  without  seeing  a 
house  or  a  rill  of  water.  We  advanced  at  a  rapid  rate,  not 
being  detained  by  our  customary  train  of  pack-horses.  We 
entered  the  valley  of  Thebes,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more 
reached  the  modern  to^vn. 

No  one  can  visit  Thebes  without  a  feeling  of  disappoint- 
ment. However  much  he  may  have  been  forewarned  to  ex- 
pect few  or  no  traces  of  ancient  palaces  and  temples,  when 
the  tourist  comes  to  tread  the  sti'eets,  and  is  told  that  he 


272  THEBES    AND    ELEUSIS. 

must  now  fancy  himself  in  the  city  of  Epaminondas  and  Pt- 
lopidas,  he  instinctively  casts  his  eye  about  for  some  vestiges 
of  their  times.  But  there  is  nothing  to  gratify  curiosity.  If 
we  except  a  few  scattered  sarcophagi,  and  some  fragments 
of  ancient  walls,  nothing  remains  but  the  ground  on  which 
Thebes  stood.  The  modern  town  spreads  itself  out  in  the 
Cadmeum,  the  old  citadel,  and  is  unable  to  fill  the  inclosure. 
Sallying  out  from  our  khan,  we  found  the  streets  crowded 
with  promenaders.  Their  costume  might  have  been  sufficient 
to  indicate  that  we  were  approaching  Athens  and  civilization. 
In  the  rural  districts  all  the  ladies  wear  the  native  costume ; 
here  probably  one  half  have  adopted  the  European,  and  ape 
the  newest  French  fashions.  Among  the  men,  however,  there 
is  a  pertinacious  adherence  to  the  ijative  dress,  which  is  cer- 
tainly much  the  more  picturesque  of  the  two. 

After  a  stroll  through  the  main  street,  we  reached  a  high 
spot  toward  the  southern  end  of  the  hill,  Avhere  we  sat  down 
and  enjoyed,  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  boys  at  their  sports, 
a  prospect  of  the  Theban  plain,  on  the  west  separated  by  a 
loAV  ridge  from  Lake  Copais,  and  from  the  part  of  Bceotia  in 
which  we  had  been  a  couple  of  weeks  previous.  SoutliAvard, 
the  country  becomes  imdulating ;  but  beyond  it  the  peaks  of 
Cithaeron,  of  Helicon,  and,  farther  to  the  right,  of  Parnassus 
itself,  were  glowing  in  the  last  rays  of  a  gorgeous  sunset. 

The  sun  had  scarcely  risen  when  we  emerged  the  next  day 
from  the  khan  at  Thebes,  after  strictly  enjoining  upon  our 
agoyates,  Avho  were  to  proceed  by  the  direct  road  toward  Eleu- 
sis,  not  to  tarry  by  the  way.  As  for  ourselves,  abandoning 
the  care  of  overseeing  the  lazy  drivers — which  had  been  one 
of  our  chief  occupations  on  previous  days — we  rode  for  over 
two  hours  in  a  westerly  direction  to  Thespise.  It  is  singu- 
lar that  the  town  occupied  the  very  midst  of  a  valley,  with- 
ovit  any  hill  to  serve  as  citadel.  The  numerous  fountains 
were,  doubtless,  the  chief  attraction  that  led  the  inhabitants 
to  choose  a  site  so  different  from  most  of  those  we  have  seen. 
Nicholas  could  show  us  little  in  the  way  of  ruins ;  and,  after 
jumping  over  ditches,  wading  brooks,  and  exciting  the  aston- 
ishment of  a  bevy  of  girls,  who,  with  skirts  gathered  knee- 
high,  were  rubbing  and  pounding  the  clothes  at  one  of  the 


SITK    OF    TUESPl.t.  '27 '6 

fountains,  we  satisfied  ourselves  that  Thespiae  has  left  us  lit- 
tle more  than  a  name.  The  shape  of  the  city,  however,  is 
quite  distinctly  marked ;  and  the  linos  of  stones  running  in 
various  directions  would  seem  to  be  traces  of  the  edifices  of 
the  valiant  town,  whose  greatest  distinction  was  that,  while 
all  the  rest  of  Bceotia  basely  submitted  to  Xerxes,  it  stood  by 
the  gallant  Platieans  in  refusing  his  messengers  the  custom- 
ary homage  of  earth  and  Avater. 

Ascending  a  hiU  north  of  the  ancient  town,  we  passed 
through  the  village  of  Eremo  Castro,  or  "the  deserted  for- 
tress." In  its  little  church  we  found  the  finest  and  best  pre- 
served bas-reliefs  that  we  had  seen  since  leaving  Athens.  As 
we  rode  westward  to  the  celebrated  fountain  of  Aganippe,  the 
country  became  undulating,  and  covered,  even  to  the  tops  of 
the  round  hills,  with  flourishing  vineyards.  The  fountain  lies 
at  the  head  of  a  long  and  narrow  ravine,  at  the  base  of  Mount 
Helicon.  In  size  it  is  nothing  more  than  a  small  spring  of 
cool  and  limpid  water,  close  by  a  ruined  chapel  of  St.  Nich- 
olas. Its  identity  has  been  proved  solely  by  an  inscription 
found  imbedded  in  the  walls  of  the  chapel.  The  former 
abode  of  the  nymphs,  to  whom  both  the  mountain  and  the 
spring  were  dedicated,  is  said  to  have  been  in  a  shady  grove, 
where,  amidst  the  gurgling  of  the  stream,  the  warbling  of  the 
birds,  and  the  dark  thickness  of  the  laurel  and  myrtle  foliage, 
their  votaries  might  fancy  that  the  nymphs  could  assume  a 
bodily  form.  Only  a  few  old  olive-trees  have  escaped  the 
ravages  of  ruthless  warriors  and  the  improvidence  of  the 
Greek  peasantry. 

Turning  once  more,  we  took  a  zigzag  course,  and  soon  came 
to  the  vicinity  of  Leuctra,  where,  after  passing  an  excavated 
monument  and  some  remains  of  a  small  temple,  we  began  to 
look  about  for  some  place  for  our  mid-day  halt.  For  this,  a 
spot  was  generally  selected  where  shade  and  fresh  water  could 
be  obtained.  Here  a  great  Avillow,  growing  by  the  side  of  a 
rivulet,  offered  its  shelter,  and  we  seated  ourselves  upon  the 
green  grass  to  enjoy  the  lunch  which  Nicholas  had  provided, 
without  minding  the  clamor  of  some  vv^omen  of  the  neighboring 
village  of  Parapungi,  who  were  assembled  near  by.  With  these 
poor  creatures  life  seems  to  be  one  continual  "  wash-day." 

M2 


274  THEBES    AND    ELEUSIS. 

Nicholas  tried  to  convince  us  that  this  was  the  plain  of 
Leuctra,  the  scene  of  that  battle  so  fatal  to  the  influence  of 
Sparta  in  the  aftairs  of  Greece.  We  asked  him  in  vain  for 
the  tumulus  said  to  have  been  erected  over  the  bones  of  the 
fallen.  He  could  show  nothing  of  the  kind,  and  fell  back  on 
the  argument  that  this  was  the  site  he  had  always  pointed  out 
to  travelers.  If  so,  none  of  those  who  had  heretofore  em- 
ployed him  ever  saw  the  field  of  Leuctra  at  all :  those  who 
come  after  us  may  be  more  fortunate.  J.  was  disposed  to 
give  the  battle-ground  the  go-by.  H.  and  I  were  determined 
not  to  advance  until  we  had  ascertained  the  veritable  locality. 
Suspecting  that  it  lay  beyond  the  northern  ridge  of  the  val- 
ley, we  took  our  guide  along  nolens  volens.  Nor  were  we  dis- 
appointed. In  twenty  minutes  we  had  before  us  the  tumulus, 
occupying  the  summit  of  the  ridge  overlooking  the  supposed 
scene  of  the  battle. 

The  Lacedaemonians  with  their  allies,  in  the  spring  of  B.C. 
371,  occupied  the  part  of  the  field  on  which  we  stood,  toward 
the  south  and  Platsea;  the  Thebans  wei-e  encamped  on  the 
northern  side,  toward  Thespias.  The  former  army  amounted 
to  at  least  eleven  thousand  men ;  the  latter  could  number  lit- 
tle more  than  six  or  eight  thousand.  On  the  one  side  were 
numbers,  discipline,  and  the  confidence  inspired  by  an  unin- 
terrupted series  of  victories;  the  others  were  flushed  with 
hopes  of  success,  and  commanded  by  one  who  was  the  most 
perfect  master  of  tactics  the  world  had  ever  known.  The  re- 
sult was  one  that  could  scarcely  have  been  anticipated.  For 
the  first  time,  a  Spartan  army  was  routed  in  a  regular  pitched 
battle,  and  Epaminondas  could  claim  by  one  blow  to  have  de- 
stroyed the  Lacedaemonian  ascendency.  The  tumulus  was 
reared  by  the  vanquished  over  the  bodies  of  a  thousand  of  the 
allies,  who  had  died  on  that  memorable  day.  There  are  re- 
mains of  ancient  terraces,  of  monuments,  and,  as  it  seemed  to 
us,  of  old  walls,  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

There  was  one  more  site  we  had  contemplated  visiting  be- 
fore leaving  the  plains  of  BcEOtia — Plataea,  lying  at  the  foot 
of  Mount  Cithajron,  and  somewhat  out  of  our  direct  route. 
In  a  straight  line  it  is  not  more  than  seven  miles  from  Thebes 
or  Thespiae ;  but  by  our  circuitous  route,  we  had  ridden  quite 


BATTLE-GROUND    OK    I'LATA-A.  275 

three  times  that  distance.  It  looks  out  upon  the  broad  expanse 
of  plain  toward  the  north,  abundantly  diversified  with  hill  and 
dale,  and  watered  by  sti'eams,  of  which  the  nearest  flows  west- 
ward to  the  Corinthian  Gulf,  while  the  more  distant  Asopus 
runs  in  the  opposite  direction,  to  empty  itself  in  the  channel 
of  Euboea.  AVe  approached  the  inclosure  of  the  walls  from 
the  west,  where  a  copious  fountain,  still  resorted  to  by  the  vil- 
lagers of  Kokla,  springs  forth  close  by  the  ancient  cemetery. 
Here  a  number  of  sarcophagi,  hollowed  out  from  pieces  of  solid 
rock,  stand  tottering  on  the  verge  of  the  hill,  or  have  fallen 
below.  The  city,  whose  circuit  of  wall  remains  almost  en- 
tire, occupied  a  slight  eminence  of  an  oblong  shape,  stretching 
north  and  south.  As  its  length  is  nearly  a  mile,  we  limited 
ourselves  to  inspecting  the  northern  portion.  Here  the  highest 
part  is  separated  by  a  wall  from  the  remainder,  and  forms  a 
citadel ;  and  another  appears  to  have  existed  at  the  southern 
end  of  the  inclosure.  With  the  exception  of  the  ruined  foun- 
dation of  a  supposed  Temple  of  Juno,  there  are  absolutely  no 
traces  of  any  buildings. 

With  Leake's  good  map  of  Platrea  and  its  environs,  we  at- 
tempted to  gain  a  clear  conception  of  the  famous  battle  which 
took  place  here,  the  year  after  the  battle  of  Salamis,  in  479 
B.C.,  when  the  Greeks  completely  discomfited  the  Persian  army 
of  Mardonius.  The  field  of  action,  stretching  from  the  camp 
of  the  Persians,  and  fi'om  the  position  of  the  Greeks  before  the 
battle,  to  the  city,  was  five  miles  in  extent ;  and,  since  the 
ground  is  undulating,  with  half  a  dozen  ridges  and  intervening 
ravines,  it  is  naturally  somewhat  difficult  to  recognize  each 
detail.  The  engagement  took  place  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
city.  The  Greeks  originally  were  posted  at  the  foot  of  Cithge- 
ron,  some  four  or  five  miles  distant,  opposite  the  Persians, 
whose  camp  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  Asopus.  Fearing 
lest  they  might  be  circumvented,  they  retreated  toward  the 
city,  the  Lacedaemonians  being  on  the  right,  the  Athenians  on 
the  left  wing,  with  the  auxiliary  troops  in  the  centre.  Before 
the  battle  commenced,  they  retired  still  farther,  and  the  aux- 
iliaries actually  got  quite  behind  Plattea.  So  the  conflict  came 
on.  The  Persians  attacked  the  gallant  Spartans ;  while  the 
traitorous  Thebans,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  difierent  Greek 


27t)  THEBES    AND    ELEUSIS. 

cities  who  fought  under  barbarian  colors,  fell  upon  the  Athe- 
nian line.  It  was  the  Persians  who  first  turned  their  backs 
and  fled,  and  then  the  Thebans  were  repulsed  and  retreated 
to  their  own  city.  This  was  the  last  time  that  the  Greeks 
were  called  upon  to  defend  their  country  from  that  great  pow- 
er, whose  numberless  hosts  seemed  I'eady  to  destroy  them  from 
the  face  of  the  earth. 

Plataea  possesses  much  more  interesting  associations  than 
Leuctra.  It  witnessed  a  noble  contest  for  liberty  and  inde- 
pendence of  foreign  aggression  ;  whereas  the  battle  at  Leuctra 
was  only  a  strife  of  rival  states  for  ascendency.  The  news  of 
the  battle  of  Plat^a  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  through  every  true 
Greek  heart ;  that  of  Leuctra  shrouded  the  greater  part  of  the 
Hellenic  race  in  weeds  of  mourning.  The  name  of  Plataea 
has  come  down  to  us  associated  only  with  the  glorious  scenes 
of  Grecian  history ;  as  the  only  state  whose  soldiers  fought  by 
the  side  of  Miltiades  and  his  followers  at  Marathon ;  as  the 
steadfast  opponent  of  Theban  aggression  and  ambition  ;  as  the 
equally  constant  friend  and  ally  of  Athens ;  and  last,  but  not 
least,  as  an  active  participant  in  the  noble  contest  beneath  its 
very  walls. 

We  had  tarried  too  long  at  Plataea,  and  now  began  the  as- 
cent of  Mount  Cithaeron,  fearing  we  should  not  reach  our  quar- 
ters for  the  night  before  dark.  Gradually  rising  above  the 
plain,  we  obtained  one  of  those  extensive  panoramic  views 
which  are  so  useful  in  impressing  the  geographical  positions 
of  towns,  rivers,  and  mountain  ranges,  upon  the  memory.  At 
the  top  of  the  pass,  whose  ascent  is  easy,  we  fell  in  Avith  the 
great  road  from  Thebes  to  Athens.  It  is  rather  narrow,  and, 
though  Macadamized,  is  quite  rough ;  but  it  pleased  us  as  an 
evidence  of  our  approach  to  the  capital.  It  was  a  prospect, 
however,  of  mingled  pleasure  and  regret :  for  it  announced  the 
speedy  termination  of  our  delightful  tour,  and  a  separation  of 
those  who  had  been  close  companions  during  a  period,  whose 
impressions  the  hand  of  time  and  the  influence  of  other  scenes 
will  never  efface.  The  road  was  sadly  out  of  repair ;  bridges 
had  been  left  to  crumble,  and  a  carriage  could  no  longer  pro- 
ceed the  whole  distance  from  the  capital.  Still  we  rode  gayly 
along,  until  the  gray  walls  of  an  old  Attic  fortress,  frowning 


A    TUWEK    AT    u:NOK.  'i  ,  / 

upon  us  from  a  height  commanding  the  pass,  gave  us  warning 
of  our  approach  to  Casa,  whither  our  agoyates  had  preceded  us. 
Committing  our  horses  to  the  custody  of  our  guide,  we  soon 
found  ourselves  at  the  entrance  of  the  citadel,  long  and  gen- 
erally known  as  Eleutheras,  but  conclusively  shown  by  Leake 
to  be  that  of  Gilnoe.  The  neighboring  mountaineers  know 
it  now  by  the  name  of  Gyphtocastro,  or  "  the  Gypsies'  for- 
tress," probably  connecting  it  with  some  legend  or  story, 
which  I  did  not  learn.  Whatever  its  name  may  have  been, 
we  found  it  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  fortification  we  had 
seen  during  the  course  of  our  travels  in  Greece.  Nothing 
seemed  lacking  to  aflfbrd  an  accurate  picture  of  a  citadel,  such 
as  might  withstand  for  months  the  most  vehement  assaults. 
On  the  northwestern  side  extends  a  long  line  of  wall,  looking 
toward  Boeotia,  with  twelve  or  fourteen  courses  of  stone  rising 
one  above  the  other.  At  regular  intervals  large  square  tow- 
ers project  from  the  walls,  and  furnish  sufficient  protection  to 


l.vTKRIOK  01"  A   TOUTK  AT   U«Oi:. 

two  or  three  postern  gates  built  close  by.  It  was  through  one 
of  these  minor  entrances  that  we  gained  admission  to  the  in- 
closure,  which  was  far  too  entire  to  admit  of  our  climbing  in 
elsewhere.  We  looked  into  one  or  two  of  the  towers  in  the 
first  place.  There  were  three  doors :  one  on  the  level  of  the 
ground  on  the  interior,  which  Avas  perhaps  the  ordinary  en- 
trance ;  the  other  two  were  on  the  sides  of  the  tower,  even 


278  THEBES    AND    EI-EUSIS. 

with  the  top  of  the  wall.  Thus  tlie  soldiers  could  make  the 
whole  circuit  of  the  walls  behind  an  elevated  breast-work,  or 
parapet,  with  Avhich  the  top  was  crowned,  and  pass  through 
the  second  story  of  the  towers.  Here,  too,  were  the  embra- 
sures, similar  to  those  in  the  towers  of  Messene,  through  whicli 
the  bowmen  aimed  and  poured  forth  murderous  discharges 
upon  the  assailants.  Above  these,  again,  were  windows,  in- 
tended, doubtless,  for  posts  of  observation. 

This  was  the  most  exposed  side  of  Gilnoe  ;  for  on  the  other 
sides  the  ascent  was  more  difficult,  and,  as  attack  was  less  to 
be  apprehended,  there  was  less  need  of  defence.  On  the  south- 
ern side,  toward  the  khan,  the  walls  descend  lower,  and  are  not 
in  an  equal  state  of  preservation.  The  two  chief,  gates  were 
in  the  western  wall.  They  appeared  to  pie  either  to  have 
been  capped  by  a  huge  lintel,  like  the  great  gate  of  Messene, 
or  to  have  been  arched  over  with  approaching  stones.  Like 
that  gateway,  each  was  double,  and,  between  the  two  sets  of 
doors,  contained  a  small  court.  In  every  city  whose  walls  are 
well  preserved,  the  size  of  this  open  space  varies,  as  well  as  its 
shape.  At  Messene  it  was  a  large  circular  court ;  at  Pano- 
peus  it  was  small ;  at  Larissa  Cremaste  there  was  merely  u 
shallow  recess  on  either  side  of  the  passage  between  the  gates. 
Here  the  space  is  somewhat  larger.  In  the  centre  of  the  in- 
closui'e  of  the  walls  is  a  small  detached  quadrangular  structure, 
of  which  only  the  lower  part  is  standing — probably  an  interior 
fort  or  watch-tower.  It  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  mode 
of  its  construction :  the  stones  are  large,  but  instead  of  being 
rectangular,  as  in  all  the  other  walls,  they  are  irregular  poly- 
gons of  various  shapes,  all  closely  fitted  to  each  other.  It 
seemed  to  me  the  most  probable  hypothesis,  that  this  tower 
was  contemporaneous  in  its  erection  with  the  remainder  of 
QCnoe,  and  that  the  architect  chose  this  style  of  building  from 
motives  of  taste.  It  was  an  imitation  of  the  old  Pelasgian 
and  Cyclopean  works  of  MycenjB,  which  were  even  then  ven- 
erable for  their  age. 

The  shadows  were  deepening  in  the  ravines,  and  slowly 
ci'ept  up  the  mountain  sides.  They  warned  us  to  bestfr  our- 
selves, and  seek  the  khan,  situated  in  the  gorge  far  below  us, 
by  the  side  of  a  noisy  brook.     Janni  had  been  ambitious  to 


ACROPOUS    OF    (ENOK.  27'.) 

end  off  as  well  as  he  had  commenced,  and  we  sat  do\\ai  about 
eight  o'clock  to  our  last  dinner,  on  which  even  more  than  or- 
dmary  pains  had  been  expcndetl.  Then  came  a  refreshing 
rest,  which  we  relished  after  our  ride  of  ten  hours.  Our  at- 
tendants meanwhile  stretched  themselves  on  the  ground  out- 
side the  door  wrapped  in  their  impermeable  capotas.  Pana- 
giotes  came  to  me  the  next  morning,  complaining  that  he  had 
not  been  able  to  sleep  all  night.  At  fifty  paces  there  stood  a 
guard-house  for  the  protection  of  the  pass,  where  a  company 
of  sokUers,  abandonmg  all  military  discipline,  had  been  ca- 
rousing until  da-wn,  interspersing  their  potations  with  the 
song  and  the  Romaic  dance. 

We  were  all  on  our  feet  at  an  early  hour.  The  conclusion 
of  the  journey  was  drawing  near;  and,  though  now  beginning 
to  regret  the  termination  of  the  wandering  life  we  had  led  for 
so  many  weeks,  the  magic  name  of  Athens  sounded  like  that 
of  a  familiar  friend,  and  imparted  spirit  and  energy  to  all. 
Our  first  intention  had  been  to  return  by  Eleusis ;  but  neither 
of  my  comrades  had  visited  the  fortress  of  Phyle,  and  they 
therefore  wished  to  return  by  that  way.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  preferred  to  go  on  Avith  the  agoyates  to  Eleusis.  Accord- 
ingly, we  separated  for  the  day  ;  but  not  until  we  had  planned 
an  excursion  together  for  the  next  week  to  the  Cape  of  Sunium 
and  the  Temple  of  Minerva. 

This  arrangement  allowed  me  to  visit  a  second  time  the 
lofty  acropolis,  and  to  sketch  its  most  striking  points.  The 
interest  of  the  locality,  and  the  pure  morning  breeze  sweeping 
through  the  quiet  gorges  of  the  mountains,  made  me  forget  the 
flight  of  time.  "SMien  I  regained  the  khan,  I  found  that  the 
agoijates  were  gone ;  but  after  saddling  my  horse,  I  soon  over- 
took them  as  they  were  emerging  from  the  mountain  pass  into 
a  small  valley,  the  whole  of  which  was  cultivated  with  wheat. 
"\\'e  were  not  long  in  reaching  a  lonely  Greek  tower,  an  ad- 
chtional  defence  to  the  pass  and  the  old  road,  and  the  only 
one  of  the  kind  I  have  seen.  Only  one  corner  is  preserved  in 
nearly  its  full  height,  with  no  less  than  thirty-three  courses 
of  stone.  The  ruin  has  thus  assumed  the  fonn  of  a  very  acute 
pyramid  when  seen  from  a  distance. 

The  road  was  excellent  compared  with  those  over  which 


'iyO  THEBES    AND    ELEUSIS. 

we  had  been  jogging ;  the  agoyates  were  in  the  best  of  spirits 
in  view  of  their  speedy  return  home,  and  I  had  no  reason  to 
complain  of  a  slow  advance.  For  some  time  we  crossed  a 
monotonous  succession  of  wooded  hills,  covered  chiefly  with 
the  common  pine  of  the  country.  Every  tree  had  a  notch 
near  the  ground,  on  the  side  of  the  trunk  that  was  uppermost, 
to  collect  the  resinous  sap,  which  is  principally  used  as  an  in- 
gredient in  the  wine.  At  every  important  place  my  compan- 
ions had  commissioned  Nicholas  to  obtain  some  of  the  "  vins 
du  pays ;"  but  they  had  as  uniformly  declaimed  them  to  be  a 
beverage  unfit  for  any  but  savages.  The  wines  are  in  general 
very  sour,  and  their  pitchy  taste  is  very  disagreeable  to  all 
who  are  unaccustomed  to  it.  Few  travelers  think  even  the 
far-famed  Samian  wine  worthy  of  its  world-wide  reputation. 

At  the  village  of  Mandra  Ave  entered  upon  the  Eleusinian 
or  Thriasian  plain ;  and  in  an  hour  more  we  rode  into  the 
scattered  village  of  Lepsina,  or  Eleusis.  After  satisfying  my- 
self with  a  hearty  lunch  in  a  hut  that  answered  the  three- 
fold purpose  of  khan,  drinking  I'oom,  and  shop,  I  made  the 
rounds  of  the  place.  I  had  nothing  to  guide  me  but  a  plan 
of  the  site ;  but  there  were  plenty  of  boys  who  volunteered  to 
act  the  cicerone.  The  striking  feature  of  Eleusis  is  its  acrop- 
olis, a  long,  low  hill,  parallel  to  the  sea,  under  the  eastern 
end  of  which  stands  the  village.  I  found  few  ruins  of  its 
wall,  except  at  the  foundation  of  a  ruinous  Turkish  tower. 
Before  reaching  the  hill,  I  came  to  a  large  collection  of  an- 
cient remains,  drums  and  capitals  of  columns,  five  or  six  feet 
in  diameter.  The  use  of  one  or  two  large  masses  of  stone 
was  puzzling.  On  one  was  carved  a  head  of  IMinerva,  with  a 
medallion,  or  Medusa's  head,  hanging  down  in  front.  These 
were  probably  remains  of  the  I'ropylaja.  The  Temple  of 
Ceres,  within  whose  inclosure  the  celebrated  Eleusinian  mys- 
teries were  celebrated,  stood  higher  up  on  the  rocky  platform 
of  the  hill.  I  clambered  to  a  small  chapel  at  present  occu- 
pying the  spot,  and  gained  a  fine  view  of  the  whole  plain. 
Toward  the  sea  the  pi-ospect  is  cut  ofi'  by  the  crags  of  the 
island  of  Salamis,  and  in  the  bay  thus  inclosed  the  water 
was  of  the  deepest  blue  I  had  ever  seen.  Not  even  the  Lake 
of  Geneva  could  surpass  it  in  this  respect.     Inland,  the  eye 


KXEUSIS.  '2HI 

could  trace  a  long  row  of  arches  belonging  to  the  aqueduct, 
by  which  the  Emperor  Hadrian  supplied  the  city  with  pota- 
ble water. 

From  the  citadel  I  walked  down  to  the  sea-shore,  having 
first  rid  myself  of  the  ti'oup  of  urchins  who  had  pestered  me 
with  their  importunities  for  "  backsheesh" — a  cry  Avell  known 
in  the  East,  even  among  the  Greeks.  They  brought  coins  and 
other  curiosities  of  doubtful  antiquity ;  but  I  was  incredulous, 
and  refused  to  purchase.  A  walk  of  five  or  ten  minutes 
brought  me  to  the  long  semicircular  pier,  which  was  thrown 
out  by  the  Eleusinians  to  render  their  harbor  safe  from  the 
southern  and  eastern  winds.  Like  every  other  work  of  thi> 
former  inhabitants,  it  was  built  in  the  most  solid  fashion,  al- 
though far  from  being  on  a  large  scale.  A  few  boys  were 
running  over  the  loose  stones,  and  a  fishing-smack  was  moored 
to  its  end  by  a  cable  attached  to  one  of  the  larger  fragn^ents. 
A  number  of  sail  were  to  be  seen  lazily  flapping  in  the  dis- 
tance, off  Mount  -^galeos,  in  whose  neighborhood  much  of  the 
fish  for  the  Athenian  market  is  caught.  The  air  was  sultry, 
and,  as  it  was  the  last  day  of  spring,  gave  premonitions  of  the 
approach  of  summer. 

On  my  return  to  the  village,  I  was  glad  to  lie  down  in  the 
shade  before  following  the  rest  of  my  company,  who  had  taken 
the  road  for  Athens.  A  train  of  camels  passing  by,  almost 
led  me  to  imagine  myself  in  a  tropical  climate — this  being,  I 
believe,  the  only  place  in  Greece  wjiere  that  patient  animal 
is  found.  The  road  from  Eleusis  to  Athens  is  one  of  the  best 
in  the  country.  It  follows  an  ancient  highway,  once  lined 
with  monuments,  of  which  only  one  or  two  can  now  be  rec- 
ognized. The  Eleusinian  Cephissus,  and  One  or  two  other 
streams,  cross  the  road  on  their  way  to  the  bay,  around  which 
we  wound  for  a  time.  Just  at  the  base  of  Mount  Corydallus, 
where  the  road  enters  the  pass,  we  reached  the  two  salt- 
springs  called  Rheiti,  once  dammed  to  turn  some  mills,  but 
now  left  open.  They  formed  the  ancient  fi-ontier  between 
Athens  and  Eleusis.  The  old  thoroughfare  is  still  evident, 
from  its  track  cut  deep  in  the  rock.  I  rode  on  alone,  and  en- 
tered the  picturesque  pass  of  Daphne.  At  one  place  a  num- 
ber of  small  niches  in  the  rock  indicate  that  a  heathen  temple, 


282  THEBES    AND    ELEUSIS. 

probably  of  Venus,  stood  in  the  vicinity  ;^  and  the  inscriptions 
relate  to  the  votive  offerings  placed  within  them  by  the  piety 
of  the  devout  Avorshippers.  The  foundations  of  the  temple  it- 
self stand  near  by. 

Farther  on,  upon  "the  Sacred  Way,"  as  the  route  was 
called  which  the  great  procession  took  when  the  mysteries 
were  to  be  celebrated  at  Eleusis,  I  came  to  the  Monastery  of 
Daphne.  Tying  my  horse  outside  the  walls,  I  entered  the 
courts,  Avhich  were  overgrown  with  grass,  and  seemed  nearly 
deserted.  The  only  living  thing  within  was  a  dog  whom  I 
roused  too  suddenly  from  his  slumbers,  and  who  retaliated  by 
a  show  of  his  teeth.  There  were  many  ruins  around.  The 
old  Byzantine  church,  a  curious  specimen  of  architecture, 
stands  on  the  site  of  an  extensive  temple  dedicated  to  Apollo. 
M.  Buchon,  the  indefatigable  chronicler  of  the  Frankish  dom- 
ination of  Greece  in  the  Middle  Ages,  made  an  interesting 
discovery  here  a  few  years  ago.  It  appears  that  Daphne  was 
called  Delphina  in  the  Middle  Ages,  and  that  this  church  was 
the  burying-place  of  the  Dukes  of  Athens.  M.  Buchon  found 
their  armorial  bearings  upon  several  of  the  tombstones  on  the 
floor. 

Eemounting  my  horse,  I  pressed  forward  to  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  where  the  plain  of  Athens  soon  burst  upon  my  eyes. 
The  glorious  Acropolis,  with  its  russet-tinged  temple,  looked 
like  the  face  of  an  old  friend  ;  and  Athens  itself  wore  a  home- 
like air.  Beyond  it  the  long  ridge  of  Hymettus,  and  the  peak 
of  Pentelicus,  on  the  left,  were  purple  in  the  rays  of  the  setting 
sun.  But  I  did  not  pause  to  contemplate  the  scene.  In  a 
few  minutes  more  I  had  gained  the  plain.  Then  I  passed 
through  the  olive-grove,  that  forms  a  "wide  belt  of  luxuriant 
green  on  either  side  of  the  Cephissus  ;  and,  before  the  close  of 
day,  was  again  threading  the  streets  of  Athens. 


THE   I'LAIN   OF  MARATUON. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


RAJIBLES  IN  ATTICA. 

See  there  the  oUve  grove  of  Academe, 

Plato's  retirement,  where  the  Attic  bird 

Trills  her  thick-warbled  notes  the  summer  long; 

There  flowery  hill  H}-mettns,  with  the  sound 

Of  bees'  industrious  murmur,  oft  invites 

To  studious  musing ;  there  Ilissus  rolls 

His  whispering  stream.  Milton. 

BIARATHON. 

The  plain  of  Marathon  lies  about  twenty-two  miles  distant 
from  Athens,  and,  until  lately,  two  days  at  least  were  required 
to  visit  it  and  return.  Travelers  from  the  West,  however, 
are  generally  so  pressed  for  time,  that  they  have  induced  the 
guides,  into  whose  hands  they  commit  themselves,  to  devise  a 
plan  by  which,  with  slightly  increased  expenditure,  they  may 
spare  a  day  from  the  more  numerous  attractions  of  Athens, 
without  at  all  affecting  their  "  six  months'  tour  in  Europe." 

Finding  that  the  visit  to  Marathon  could  now — thanks  to 
the  exertions  of  those  gentlemen — ^be  accomplished  as  conven- 
iently in  one  day  as  in  two,  I  joined  a  couple  of  friends  in 
undertaking  the  trip.  The  ride  being  a  long  one,  we  were 
obliged  to  rise  early  for  departure,  A  guide  came  with  a  car- 
riage to  my  lodgings  before  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.     After 


284  1< A. MULES    IN    ATTICA. 

rattling  a  while  througli  the  narrow  and  roughly  paved  streets 
of  the  city,  we  came  to  a  tolerable  road,  which  led  out  into 
the  country  by  the  great  stuccoed  palace  of  King  Otho  and 
the  more  tasteful  gardens  in  its  rear.  On  our  left  was  Mount 
Lycabettus,  a  high  hill  overhanging  Athens  on  the  north- 
east, from  whose  summit  I  had  many  a  time  watched  the 
last  beams  of  the  sun  falling  over  the  golden  waves  of  the 
Saronic  Gulf,  as  it  set  behind  the  mountains  of  Salamis. 
Centuries  ago,  how  many  an  anxious  eye  must  have  been 
strained  by  those  who,  from  the  temple  adorning  that  height, 
gazed  upon  the  hostile  fleets  as  they  advanced  to  the  engage- 
ment in  yonder  narrow  sti'ait  of  Salamis.  From  the  stony 
plain  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  now  just  beginning  to  re- 
cover its  verdure  after  a  rainy  spring,  we  took  a  northerly 
course  toward  the  little  village  of  Cephisia,  at  the  very  foot 
of  Mount  Pentelicus.  The  plain — at  least  the  part  that  bor- 
dered the  road — was  barren,  and  seemed  almost  uncultivated. 
But,  as  we  approached  the  village,  it  became  more  fertile ; 
and  now  and  then  appeared  a  garden  or  vineyard,  surrounded 
by  walls  of  sun-dried  bricks,  thatched  with  straAv  or  wild 
broom.  Our  carriage  stopped  at  a  small  house,  where  we 
found  the  horses  that  had  been  sent  forward  the  previous  day 
awaiting  us ;  for  here,  at  the  distance  of  nine  or  ten  miles 
from  Athens,  the  carriage  road  ceases,  and  the  traveler  must 
pursue  his  Avay  over  the  mountains,  upon  the  same  rugged 
paths  by  which  the  natives  have  been  content  for  centuries  to 
keep  up  a  communication  with  the  neighboring  villages. 

The  road  wound  about  the  northern  side  of  Mount  Pentel- 
icus, into  a  valley  which  is  a  prolongation  of  the  plain  of 
Athens.  The  soil  was  still  less  fertile  than  before ;  not  a 
village  or  hamlet  was  visible.  To  the  north,  the  lofty  range 
of  Mount  Pai-nes,  which  from  Athens  shuts  oiF  all  prospect  in 
this  direction,  gradually  sank  as  we  advanced  eastward ;  and 
in  one  place  displayed  a  naiTOw  gap,  one  of  the  few  openings 
between  Attica  and  Ba?otia.  This  was  Deceleia,  a  famous 
pass  in  ancient  times.  It  constituted  the  only  communication 
through  Parnes,  with  the  exception  of  Phyle,  and  was  there- 
fore esteemed  a  most  important  post  for  defence.  It  was 
through  this  defile,  Avhich  certainly  does  not  appear  to  bo  u 


FLAIX    OF    MAKATHON.  285 

very  easy  one,  tliat  Mardonius,  with  his  army  of  Persians,  re- 
treated to  Phat;i^a,  after  the  fight  at  Salamis.  Sixty  or  seventy 
years  later,  the  Lacedaemonians,  who  seized  it  in  the  midst  of 
the  civil  wars,  made  it  the  centre  of  their  predatory  incursions 
into  Attica.  And  so  strong  is  this  position,  that  they  could 
not  be  dislodged  from  their  post,  though  in  full  sight  of  Athens, 
not  twenty  miles  distant. 

The  valley  we  were  in  soon  contracted  into  a  narrow  ravine 
covered  with  various  shrubs.  A  succession  of  ascents  brought 
us  to  the  top  of  the  pass,  overlooking  the  village  of  Vrana. 
Another  pictui'esque  and  more  thickly  wooded  gorge  led  us 
down  to  the  opening  of  the  plain  of  Marathon,  which  was 
spread  out  in  beauty  before  us.  The  background  of  this 
charming  scene  Avas  filled  up  by  the  mountains  of  Euboea, 
among  which  the  rocky  liead  of  Zagoras  overtopped  the  rest. 
The  recent  rains  had  given  it,  like  some  other  peaks,  a  heavy 
cap  of  snow.  Between  the  island  and  the  main  land  was  the 
Euripus,  which  is  here  seven  or  eight  miles  Avide,  and,  in  going 
northward,  alternately  contracts  and  expands,  until,  at  Chalcis, 
the  shores  approach  so  near  one  another,  that  a  stone  might 
almost  be  thrown  across  the  channel.  The  plain  itself  is  per- 
fectly level  for  five  or  six  miles  in  length,  and  it  can  not  be 
less  than  three  miles  to  the  nearest  point  of  the  beach.  The 
water  beyond  it  is  quiet  and  glassy ;  for  a  long,  low,  and  nar- 
row tongue  of  land  breaks  the  force  of  the  eastern  winds,  and 
the  bay  thus  formed  is  only  exposed  to  the  southern  wind,  or 
Sirocco.  The  ancients  fancied  a  resemblance  between  this 
peninsula  and  a  dog's  tail ;  and  therefore  called  it  Cynosura. 
From  the  hillock  on  which  we  stood  we  could  not  see  the 
tumulus.  It  lay  hidden  by  the  projecting  spur  of  the  mount- 
ain to  our  right ;  but  the  wide  and  shallow  river  of  Marathona 
Avas  visible  in  the  distance,  reaching  the  sea  after  a  meander- 
ing course  through  the  plain.  A  gap  in  the  hills  on  our  right 
was  just  wide  enough  to  disclose  Mount  Pentelicus,  covered 
with  newly-fallen  snow ;  and  there  was  a  ruined  monastery 
with  a  single  tall  cypress  in  its  garden,  to  serve  as  a  fore- 
ground. 

Vrana  was  a  convenient  spot  for  our  morning  meal.  The 
sun  was  scarcely  yet  in  the  meridian,  but  a  ride  of  several 


28G  RAMBLES    IN    AITICA. 

hours  enabled  us  to  do  honor  to  the  simple  viands  which  our 
guide,  George,  drew  from  a  capacious  basket.  The  absence 
of  chairs,  or  of  any  substitute  which  could  be  procured  from 
the  neighboring  huts,  compelled  us  to  adopt  the  most  common 
Oriental  posture ;  and  as  we  sat  cross-legged  on  the  turf,  all 
the  population  of  the  hamlet  collected  at  a  short  distance  from 
us  to  make  observations  on  our  costume  and  habits.  The 
urchins,  albeit  scarce  a  week  passes  without  their  seeing  some 
of  the  "milordi,"  were  vastly  edified  with  our  appearance. 
As  for  the  women,  with  the  distaff  in  one  hand,  and  twirling 
the  spindle  with  the  other,  they  talked  and  spun,  until  it  was 
hard  to  determine  whether  tongue  or  hands  were  most  busy. 


TUB  MOUND   AT   MABATUON. 


We  reached  the  mound  raised  over  the  slain  of  the  battle 
of  Marathon  by  pursuing  an  almost  direct  course  across  the 
fields.  The  roads,  if  mere  beaten  paths  may  be  dignified  with 
that  name,  are  annually  ploughed  up  in  the  spring;  so  that 
without  any  offence  we  could  I6ap  ditches,  and  dash  over  the 
fields  of  young  wheat,  as  is,  indeed,  the  universal  practice  in 
Greece.  The  hillock,  or  funeral  mound,  under  which  the 
hundred  and  ninety-two  Athenians  who  perished  in  battle 
are  buried,  is  perhaps  thirty  feet  high.  If  its  shape  was  ever 
angular,  time  has  worn  it  down  into  a  rounded  form,  except 
where  the  sacrilegious  travelers  of  this  centuiy,  in  searching 


BATTLE-GROUND    OF    JIARATHON.  287 

for  brass  and  flint  arrow-heads,  have  scraped  away  some  earth 
from  its  sides.  Unfortunately  for  these  antiquarians,  the  latter 
sort  has  been  found  in  abundance  at  places  where  no  battle 
is  known  to  have  been  fought  with  the  Persians ;  for  to  those 
barbarians  these  primitive  wedge-like  missiles  have  been  at- 
tributed. Geologists  pronounce  them  to  be  of  nature's  own 
fashioning. 

Standing  upon  the  top  of  this  monument  of  ancient  glory,  I 
could  easily  distinguish  the  positions  most  probably  occupied 
by  the  belligerent  parties  twenty-three  centuries  ago.  The 
Medes  and  Persians  under  Datis  landed  from  their  boats  along 
the  neighboring  beach.  The  Athenians  and  Plata^ans,  under 
Miltiades  and  his  nine  associates,  had  encamped  the  previous 
night  in  the  neighborhood,  at  Marathon,  a  village  occupying 
the  site  of  the  hamlet  where  we  lunched.  Thence  they  had 
descended  "to  meet  the  Persians,  and  stationed  themselves  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  have  either  wing  protected  by  a  high  hill. 
The  centre  of  their  line  was  weak,  either  purposely  or  from 
necessity ;  while  the  extremities  were  made  very  strong. 
When  the  engagement  commenced,  the  Persians  were  success- 
ful in  the  centre.  But  the  victorious  Athenians  from  the 
wngs  pouring  in  upon  them,  as  it  would  appear,  after  a  some- 
what disputed  combat,  put  to  rout  the  whole  multitude  of  the 
barbarians.  The  greater  part  ran  to  the  sea,  and  saved  them- 
selves in  boats,  which  they  had  drawn  up  on  the  sand ;  but 
many  becoming  entangled  in  the  swamp,  which  was  on  their 
right,  were  cut  off  by  the  Athenians,  or  drowned. 

Modern  writers  pretend  to  con-ect  the  numbers  of  the  Persian 
host,  as  given  by  ancient  historians.  For  they  calculate  that, 
instead  of  the  half  a  milUon  or  more  warriors,  that  were  at- 
tributed to  Darius  by  the  later  Latins  and  Greeks,  the  ships 
that  brought  them  from  Asia  could  not  have  contained  two 
hundred  thousand  men.  Of  these,  it  is  conjectured  that  not 
,more  than  30,000  were  actually  engaged  in  the  battle,  and 
opposed  to  11,000  Greeks.  So  that,  after  all,  the  myriads  of 
the  "  Great  King"  dwindle  down  to  what  would  now  be  con- 
sidered rather  an  insignificant  armament  for  conquering  a 
whole  country.  The  glory  of  Miltiades  would  also  be  reduced 
to  the  skill  employed  in  making  one  of  his  soldiers  more 


288  RAMBLES    IN    ATTICA. 

effective  than  three  of  his  antagonists.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
Herodotus,  the  only  historian  who  can  claim  the  authority  of 
a  contemporary,  contents  himself  with  stating  the  number  of 
the  slain  at  nearly  200  on  the  side  of  the  Athenians,  and  at 
6400  on  that  of  the  Persians. 

It  was  difficult  for  me  to  realize  that  the  quiet  plain  I  was 
looking  upon  had  ever  been  the  scene  of  so  dreadful  a  conflict, 
and  that  here  had  been  decided  the  fate  not  of  Greece  alone, 
but  of  all  Europe.  The  quiet  Helds  were  occupied  only  by  a 
few  peasants  engaged  in  ploughing.  In  the  distance,  to  the 
northwest,  could  plainly  be  distinguished  the  marsh  so  fatal 
to  the  fugitives.  It  Avas  not  now  so  wet,  however,  as  in  the 
autumn,  which  was  the  season  of  the  year  Avhen  the  battle 
took  place. 

From  the  mound  we  rode  to  the  sea-shore,  along  which 
pursuing  our  way  a  mile  southward,  we  reached  the  remains 
of  a  Temple  of  Minerva,  which  was  surnamed  Ilellotis,  just  as 
an  Italian  church  in  a  similar  situation  would,  at  the  present 
day,  be  dedicated  to  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Mai*sh."  All  that 
now  remains  of  it  is  four  or  five  plain,  round  columns,  a  foot  in 
diameter,  standing  in  the  midst  of  a  mandra,  or  sheep-fold, 
and  an  altar  or  pedestal  in  a  neighboring  field.  An  interest- 
ing circumstance  connected  with  this  temple  was  the  discovery 
of  one  of  the  most  ancient  authentic  pieces  of  sculpture  that 
have,  so  far  as  I  know,  been  found  in  Greece.  It  bears  the 
name  of  the  artist,  and  is  thereby  known  to  have  been  exe- 
cuted in  the  sixth  century  before  our  era.  So  perfect  is  every 
lineament  of  the  face,  and  every  fold  of  the  drapery,  that  it 
has  been  thought  worth  while  to  place  this  large  bas-relief  in 
a  glass  case.  It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  antiques  within 
the  walls  of  the  old  Temple  of  Theseus  at  Athens,  and  might 
easily  be  mistaken  at  first  sight  for  a  fine  slab  from  Nineveh 
or  Thebes. 

The  day  was  by  this  time  far  advanced ;  and  having  now 
seen  all  that  is  most  interesting  at  Marathon,  we  turned  our 
faces  westward.  Instead  of  retracing  our  steps  to  Vrana,  we 
directed  them  to  the  present  village  of  Marathona,  imbosomed 
in  a  small  valley  some  distance  to  the  north.  From  it  a  tor- 
rent issues  and  watei's  the  plain.     We  reached  it.  after  passing 


GROTTO  OF  THK  NYMPHS.  289 

on  our  left  the  marble  platform  supposed  to  have  been  that 
of  a  monument  erected  in  honor  of  Miltiades.  There  was 
no  distinct  road  to  the  vilhige ;  but  our  guide's  knowledge 
was  reliable  enough  as  to  the  depth  of  the  stream ;  and  we 
avoided  the  bends  by  crossing  altecnately  from  one  side  of 
the  river  to  the  other.  "We  did  not  tarry  at  the  few  houses, 
which,  by  a  singular  but  not  uncommon  misnomer,  have 
assumed  the  name  of  Marathon  (whereas  that  village,  doubt- 
less, stood  on  the  site  of  Vrana),  but  hurried  on,  by  a  difficult 
and  rugged  ascent,  to  reach  the  path  by  which  Ave  had  come 
that  morning.  George  preceded  us,  and,  on  one  occasion,  had 
advanced  so  far  that  he  was  hidden  from  us  by  a  curve  of  the 
little  gorge.  Suddenly  there  was  heard  a  noise  of  men  appar- 
ently wrangling,  and  then  the  discharge  of  a  gun,  after  which 
all  was  quiet  again.  It  would  have  requii'ed  no  gi'eat  stretch 
of  imagination  to  fancy  an  encounter  with  brigands ;  for  the 
northern  part  of  Attica  is  from  time  to  time  infested  with  rob- 
bers, and  our  guide  might  have  fallen  a  victim.  The  chances 
of  such  a  catastrophe,  however,  were  small.  Besides,  upon 
going  forward,  we  were  reassured  by  seeing  George  dismounted, 
and  engaged  in  peaceable  conversation  with  a  couple  of  peas- 
ants. The  sole  sufferer  was  a  large  vulture,  which,  being 
gorged  with  food,  could  not  fly  off  with  the  rest  of  the  flock 
to  which  it  belonged.  It  must  have  measured  five  feet  or 
more  from  the  tip  of  one  wdng  to  that  of  the  other.  The 
peasant  who  killed  it,  after  cutting  off  the  two  wings,  for 
the  sake  of  the  feathers,  threw  the  rest  away,  and  then  ac- 
companied our  party  most  of  the  way  to  Cephisia. 

Before  we  entered  the  carriage  again  on  our  return,  we 
went  to  see  a  pretty  water-fall  of  the  principal  branch  of  the 
famous  Cephissus,  where  the  shelving  rocks,  extending  round 
in  crescent  shape,  form  a  sort  of  cave.  In  summer  time  this 
"Grotto  of  the  Nymphs"  must  be  a  delightful  resort  for  the 
Athenians.  And  Cephisia,  the  only  country  place  in  the 
vicinity  which  abounds  in  water,  was  formerly  a  still  more 
favorite  site  for  the  villas  of  the  rich  than  it  is  now.  There 
remained  ample  time  for  us,  after  seeing  aU  the  curiosities  of 
the  place,  to  return  to  Athens  by  daylight. 

N 


290  RAMBLES    IN    AITIOA. 


Suiiium  occupies  the  extreme  southerly  point  of  Attica,  at 
the  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  miles  from  Athens.  It  has  been 
customary  to  devote  to  the  excursion  the  greater  part  of  three 
days.  The  construction  of  new  roads,  however,  and  better 
iirrangenients  have  reduced  the  time  required  to  a  single  day. 
We  rose  before  dawn  on  the  last  morning  of  spring,  and  left 
Athens  in  a  carriage,  intending  to  ride  as  far  as  there  existed 
any  respectable  road,  whicli,  fortunately  for  us,  was  the  case 
for  a  longer  distance  than  in  any  other  direction  from  the 
capital  of  Greece. 

If  the  reader  will  but  cast  his  eye  over  a  good  map  of  this 
triangular  peninsula  of  Attica,  he  will  at  once  notice  its  singur 
lar  conformation.  A  lofty  ridge,  bounding  it  on  the  north, 
forms  the  base  of  the  triangle,  while  the  sea-shore  describes 
the  other  sides.  From  this  central  trunk,  Avhich  bears  in  one 
place  the  name  of  Cithteron,  and  in  another  that  of  Parnes, 
two  lesser  branches  run  down  to  the  Saronic  Gulf,  dividing 
Attica  into  three  unequal  plains.  Of  these,  the  plain  of 
Athens  is  the  largest,  and  is  intermediate  between  that  of 
Eleusis  on  the  west,  and  Mesoga^a  toward  the  southeast. 
Mount  Hymettus  appears  from  Athens  to  cut  off  all  commu- 
nication with  this  small  inland  plain  ;  but  the  road  to  Sunium 
finds  an  entrance  into  it  through  a  wide  gap  at  its  upper  end. 

The  country  until  we  reached  the  village  of  Keratia,  where 
the  carriage  road  terminates,'  possessed  little  interest.  Arid 
and  stony,  it  is  incredible  that  under  any  circumstances  the 
soil  should  have  supported  a  large  population.  Not  a  stream 
of  running  watei',  at  this  season  of  the  year,  greets  the  traveler's 
eye ;  scarcely  a  single  tree  throws  its  grateful  shade  upon  the 
road-side.  The  parsimony  of  nature  has  in  some  degree  been 
counterbalanced  by  the  beneficence  of  man.  Fountains  have 
been  constructed,  and  wells  dug,  at  short  intervals  along  the 
road.  I  asked  a  native  how  it  happened  that  these  wells 
should  have  been  made  at  so  great  expense  in  lonely  tracts, 
far  from  any  human  habitation.  "Why,"  replied  the  Greek, 
"the  erection  of  a  fountain  is  regarded  as  ajisi/chicon,  or  meri- 
torious deed  to  aid  in  the  salvation  of  one's  soul.    It  is  the  same 


SILVtR    MINES    OF    MOUNT    LAUKILM.  291 

feeling  that  induces  men  to  found  churches  or  chapel?,  in  ful- 
lillment  of  vows  made  in  sickness  or  danger."  1  could  not 
but  admire  the  benevolence  thus  displayed,  notwithstanding 
its  enoneous  motive.  Beggars  in  the  streets  of  Athens  (who 
are  almost  always  either  cripples  or  blind)  are  supported,  on  a 
similar  principle,  by  the  contributions  of  the  passers-by.  It  is 
tometimes  even  ludicrous  to  see  a  representative,  or  some  other 
well-known  poUtician,  slip  a  lepton  (not  quite  two  mills)  into 
the  hand  of  a  poor  man,  and  accompany  it  with  the  notice 
that  it  is  "for  his  soul's  sake."  One  is  almost  tempted  to 
think  that  the  coin  is  an  indication  of  the  value  he  sets  upon 
the  object  in  question. 

We  reached  Keratia  in  about  four  hours  from  the  time  of 
lea\Tno'  Athens,  and  waited  in  a  lar<re  khan,  which  sei-ved  at 
once  as  a  cfiuntrj-  inn  and  store,  until  our  horses  were  made 
ready.  The  men  of  the  village  being  mostly  busy  at  their 
work,  we  sat  comparatively  undisturbed  by  their  impertinent 
curiosity.  The  remainder  of  our  ride  was  the  more  difficult 
part.  At  first,  the  path  led  over  a  tolerably  level  district ; 
but  soon  we  came  to  the  hills,  Avhich  formerly  went  by  the 
name  of  Mount  Laurium.  and  which  reach  the  \QTy  margin 
of  the  sea.  The  rock  formerly  abounded  with  veins  of  a  lead 
ore  containing  a  large  proportion  of  silver.  But  this  com- 
modity, which  enriched  the  Athenian  commonwealth  in  its 
palmy  days,  had  already  grown  scarce  in  later  times.  The 
ore  was  worked  even  a  second  time,  in  order  to  exti-act  every 
particle  of  the  precious  metal.  And  now,  it  is  said,  not  a 
trace  of  the  silver  can  be  found.  The  activity  of  the  miners 
in  days  bygone  is  evinced  by  huge  heaps  of  scoria,  or  dross, 
that  surround  the  old  shafts,  and  are  of  such  ..Ize  as  to  excite 
much  surprise." 

AVe  presently  reached  the  sea-shore  at  a  small  ba}',  whence, 
for  more  than  an  hour,  our  path  led  us  over  rocks  bordering 

*  It  is  certainly  an  interesting  fact  that  the  silver,  drawn  from  the^e 
mines  was  equally  distributed  among  all  the  citizeas,  until  Themisto- 
cles  persuaded  the  people  to  apply  this  branch  of  their  revenue  to  the 
building  of  ships  for  the  Persian  war.  The  silver  extracted  from  the 
piece  of  stone  you  pick  up  on  Motmt  Laurium  may  perchance  have 
been  used  in  equipping  the  fleet  that  sen"ed  at  Salamis. 


292  RAMBLES    IN    ATTICA. 

the  water.  The  tracks  worn  by  those  who  have  from  time  to 
time  passed  over  them,  follow  all  the  contortions  and  lissm-es 
of  the  strata.  Our  horses  would  occasionally  come  to  a  nar- 
row, ledge,  which,  with  all  our  confidence  in  their  sure-footed- 
ness,  seemed  rather  perilous.  At  length  we  beheld,  on  the  crest 
of  a  neighboring  hill,  the  remains  of  the  ancient  Temple  of 
Minerva,  which  we  had  come  so  far  to  visit. 

The  view  from  the  summit  well  repaid  us  for  the  difficulty 
of  the  ascent.  AVe  had  reached  the  end  of  the  Attic  penin- 
sula. The  ^gean  Sea,  unruffled  by  a  single  breath  of  air, 
presented  a  glassy  appearance,  which  the  ocean  never  exhib- 
its. Beyond  were  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  seemingly 
but  a  few  miles  distant.  But  more  impressive  than  all  was 
the  unbroken  silence  that  reigned  around  us.  Not  a  living 
thing  had  we  encountered  for  nearly  three  hours.  In  fact,  no 
one  permanently  inhabits  this  vicinity.  The  temple  is  better 
known  by  the  seamen  than  by  the  natives ;  and  the  Italian 
sailors  have  given  the  promontory  its  present  designation  of 
Cape  Colonna.  Only  twelve  out  of  twenty-four  columns  re- 
main. The  order  is  that  most  commonly  employed  in  the 
existing  edifices  of  Greece  —  the  simple  and  chaste  Doric. 
Yet,  in  some  respects,  the  Temple  of  Sunium  differs  from  all 
other  examples  of  this  style.  The  flutings  of  the  columns 
are  wider  and  less  numerous  than  in  the  Parthenon ;  Avhile 
the  shafts  are  so  tall  and  slender  as  to  present  a  marked  con- 
trast with  those  of  the  other  temples,  and  especially  wi^h 
those  of  the  Peloponnesus.  At  a  short  distance  they  appear 
to  vie  in  lightness  with  pillars  of  the  Ionic  order.  Sheltered 
by  its  situation  from  depredations  on  the  part  of  the  peas- 
antry for  building  purposes,  the  temple  is  exposed  to  the  full 
violence  of  every  tempest  that  blows  over  it,  and  of  every 
earthquake  that  rocks  its  foundations.  But  the  more  insidi- 
ous agency  of  the  saline  exhalations  from  the  sea  has  corroded 
its  pillars,  destroyed  its  sharp  outlines,  and  obliterated  every 
trace  of  its  marble  sculptures.  The  platform  upon  which  the 
edifice  stands  is  yet  remaining  entire.  The  walls  of  ancient 
Sunium  may  be  traced  through  their  whole  circuit.  It  was 
evidently  a  place  of  some  note  as  the  chief  town  in  the  mining 
district  of  Mount  Laurium. 


KXOUKSION    To    1-lUJ.i:. 


2y3 


Ketuiiiiiig  to  Keratia,  we  pursued  a  route  lc?s  rocky,  pass- 
ing by  Tlioricus,  the  modern  Tlicrico.  Tlie  only  objects  of 
interest  in  this  little  hamlet  are  a  gate  of  unusual  construc- 
tion, a  ruined  colonnade,  and  the  remains  of  a  small  theatre. 
An  hour  later  we  were  in  the  carriage  returning  to  Athens. 
On  our  way  we  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  in  the  vicinity  of  a 
chapel  dedicated  to  St.  John,  to  examine  a  marble  lion  of 
colossal  size;  but  the  execution  was  feeble,  and  the  monu- 
ment too  much  defaced  to  be  worthy  of  notice. 


Professor  B.  was  my  companion  on  a  pleasant  excursion 
to  the  fortress  of  Phyle,  situated  in  the  very  midst  of  Mount 
Parncs,  wliich  played  a  prominent  part  in  Grecian  story. 
Before  we  got  under  way,  the  sun  was  well  up,  and  pouring 
his  almost  insupportable  rays  upon  us.  We  were  provided 
with  books,  maps,  and  provisions ;  and  each  carried,  besides, 
an  umbrella,  without  whose  protection  scarce  any  one  ven- 
tures out  during  the  warm  season.  The  weather  soon,  how- 
ever, underwent  a  favorable  change ;  and  the  sky  being  over- 


view OF  I'UYLK. 


294  KAMIM.KS    IN    ATTICA. 

cast,  v,'C  were  not  long  exposed  to  great  heat.  As  we  left 
the  thoroughfares  of  the  city,  we  struck  upon  an  ill-defined 
road  leading  to  the  northwest ;  and,  after  making  a  slight  de- 
scent, found  ourselves  approaching  the  little  Kiver  Cephissus, 
which,  in  its  course  of  twenty  miles  from  tlie  mountains,  scat- 
ters fertility  and  verdure  around.  Great  was  the  contrast  be- 
tween its  banks  and  the  rest  of  the  plain,  which  in  the  month 
of  October  is  dry,  parched,  and  dusty.  The  whole  valley,  in 
its  width  of  six  miles,  had  been  stripped  of  nearly  every  ves- 
tige of  vegetation ;  for  not  a  drop  of  water  had  fallen  during 
the  previous  four  or  five  months.  The  Cephissus,  in  truth, 
makes  but  a  poor  show  as  to  extent.  At  no  time  does  it 
equal  a  moderate  creek.  Its  waters  are  drawn  off  by  canals, 
and  let  out  by  the  government  to  the  neighboring  land-owners 
in  measured  quantities,  and  at  a  fixed  price.  What  is  not  ab- 
sorbed by  the  ground,  finds  its  way  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Bay 
of  Phalerum,  where  it  loses  itself  in  the  midst  of  the  fields ; 
and  but  little,  after  all,  reaches  the  sea.  The  equally  famous 
Ilissus,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Athens,  is  still  more  unfortunate, 
as,  during  the  warm  months,  its  bed  becomes  entirely  dry. 

The  olive  grove  lining  the  banks  of  the  Cephissus  foi'ms  a 
lielt  of  verdure  for  half  a  mile  or  more  on  either  side,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  in  all  Greece.  The  trees  are  old, 
and  twisted  into  the  most  fantastic  shapes  imaginable.  The 
locality  acquires  additional  interest  from  the  fact  that  the 
Academy  was  situated  in  this  vicinity,  that  garden  where  Plato 
was  wont  to  teach  his  disciples,  where  the  principles  of  a  mo- 
rality superior  to  that  of  the  times  were  inculcated,  and  pop- 
ular fallacies  were  refuted.  But,  alas  for  the  reverence  of  the 
antiquarian,  the  precise  spot  can  scarcely  be  determined  with 
certainty.  The  two  low  hillocks  of  Colonos,  a  short  distance 
to  the  right,  are  more  certainly  known.  Here  was  the  birth- 
[)lace  of  the  great  poet  Sophocles,  who,  in  his  tragedies,  has 
represented  Q^^dipus  as  on  this  spot  lamenting  his  misfortunes. 
On  one  hillock  stands  the  simple  monument  of  Midler  the 
Philhellene,  who,  after  spending  a  lifetime  in  the  study  of 
Grecian  histor}-,  begged  that  he  might  be  buried  here  in  sight 
of  some  of  its  most  glorious  monuments.  Ilalf  an  hour  later 
we  saAV  the  Queen's  Tower,  a  sort  of  country  house,  to  Avhich 


A     SLMMKU    VILLAGE.  if  95 

the  royal  couple  may  frequently  be  seen  riding.  Queen  Amelia 
is  passionately  fond  of  equestrian  oxereises,  and  is  esteemed 
the  best  rider  in  tlie  kingdom.  ^N'hat  with  riding  and  dan- 
cing, her  time  is  pretty  fully  occupied,  and  she  finds  little  leis- 
ure to  attend  to  the  concerns  of  her  subjects.  Her  non-inter- 
ference, probably,  quite  as  much  as  her  reputed  gentleness  and 
iieauty,  has  won  the  good-will  of  a  people  who  certainly  es- 
teem themselves  quite  capable  of  managing  their  own  affairs. 
An  hour  or  two  more  brought  us  opposite  Mount  Penteli- 
f'us  and  Cephisia,  on  the  other  side  of  the  great  plain  of 
Athens.  Here  we  turned  into  a  valley  between  the  hills,  and 
i>egan  ascending  to  the  village  of  Khassia.  3 lore  properly 
the  assemblage  of  houses  we  reached  was  merely  the  calyvia, 
or  summer  residence,  of  the  inhabitants  of  Khassia.  The  real 
village  lay  out  of  sight.  During  the  summer  season  the  in- 
liabitants  abandon  their  villages,  either  because  their  position 
is  unhealthy,  or  because  they  possess  lands  in  a  more  elevated 
situation.  These  they  must  visit  to  plough  and  sow  with 
grain  during  the  early  spring,  and  to  reap  the  crops  in  the 
month  of  June,  after  the  termination  of  harvest  in  the  plains. 
I.<et  not  the  reader  imagine  here  one  of  those  smiling  vil- 
lages of  New  England,  whose  regular  streets  are  shaded  by 
long  rows  of  old  elms,  or  adorned  -with  lofty  poplars ;  whose 
neat  white  houses  testify  alike  to  the  industry  and  the  success 
of  the  inhabitants.  We  found  ourselves  entering  a  confused 
mass  of  huts,  built  of  stone  or  mud,  and  huddled  together 
without  regard  to  order  or  symmetry.  The  streets — often 
not  eight  feet  wide — were  unpaved  and  dirty.  There  did  not 
seem  to  be  a  single  tree  or  busli  in  the  place.  As  we  dis- 
mounted to  rest  our  horses  a  while,  some  ragged  boys  in  Al- 
banian costume  came  to  earn  a  few  lepta  by  holding  them ; 
while  three  or  four  grown  men,  who  might  have  been  profita- 
bly employed  in  the  cultivation  of  their  fields,  sat  under  an  ad- 
joining shed  smoking  their  pipes  and  watching  our  movements. 
AVe  walked  a  short  distance  through  the  neighboring  lanes,  but 
tliscovered  nothing  worthy  of  notice.  Here  and  there  the  eye 
was  met  by  the  tottering  wall  of  a  cottage,  whose  tiled  or 
thatched  roof  had  fallen  in.  It  was  the  very  picture  of  deso- 
lation.    We  were  heartilv  reioiccd  when  our  horses  had  been 


29t)  KAJIBLKS    IN     AITICA. 

sufficiently  refreshed  to  allow  of  our  proceeding.  A  few  rods 
beyond  the  village  there  was  a  clear  spring  of  water,  where 
we  found  all  the  women  of  the  village  engaged  in  washing. 
This  operation  did  not  consist  in  rubbing  the  clothes  with  the 
hand  or  upon  a  board.  Instead  of  this,  the  articles  were  al- 
ternately dipped  in  watei",  and  pounded  between  two  boards 
or  two  flat  stones  until  they  acquired  the  necessary  degree 
of  whiteness.  What  seemed  to  give  the  washers  most  ti'ouble, 
however,  was  the  fustcmeUa,  or  white  shirt,  worn  by  the  men, 
which  any  one  who  has  ever  seen  an  Athenian  in  native  cos- 
tume can  not  fail  to  remember.  A  strip  of  linen,  a  yard  or 
three  quartei's  of  a  yard  Avide,  is  wound  in  a  loose  manner, 
sometimes  a  dozen  or  more  times  about  the  body,  and  fastened 
by  a  long  sash  tightly  drawn  around  the  waist.  This,  too, 
gives  the  2'xMccaris  a  wasp-like  figure,  on  which  they  ai'e  wont 
to  pride  themselves  beyond  measure.  The  white  skirts,  when 
stretched  upon  the  grass,  cover  a  great  space.  The  whole  fe- 
male population  paused  for  a  moment  in  their  occupation  to 
reconnoitre  us  as  we  approached.  Altogether  they  formed  a 
picturesque  gi'oup.  With  a  freedom  that  might  have  shocked 
fastidious  eyes,  they  had  tucked  up  their  dresses  above  the  knee, 
and  stood  ankle  deep  in  water. 

From  Khassia  to  Phyle  the  winding  bridle  path  more  than 
doubles  the  direct  distance.  We  followed  during  much  of  the 
time  the  sides  of  a  narrow  ravine.  At  the  bottom  the  dry 
bed  of  a  torrent,  which  during  the  winter  pours  its  waters 
into  the  plain  of  Eleusis,  left  no  room  for  a  road.  Accord- 
ingly, Ave  were  obliged  to  make  frequent  ascents  and  descents 
l>efore  coming  in  sight  of  the  fortress.  The  sides  of  the  hills 
were  covered  with  pine-trees  wherever  the  I'ocky  nature  of 
the  soil  did  not  px'eclude  their  growth.  The  inhabitants  put 
them  in  requisition,  not  only  to  furnish  the  fuel  they  need, 
but  also  to  flavor  their  Avines. 

The  fortress  of  Phyle  at  length  came  in  sight.  It  occupies 
the  summit  of  a  somewhat  isolated  hill,  that  stands  in  the 
middle  of  the  principal  pass  leading  over  Mount  Parnes  from 
Attica  into  Boeotia.  On  two  sides  it  is  protected  by  almost 
perpendicular  rocks.  There  no  Avails  Avere  necessary,  and 
none  seem  cA'er  to  have  existed.      On  tlie  other  sides  it  Avas 


THKASYliLLfS    AT    FUTLE.  2y7 

defended  by  strong  fortifications,  built  of  regular  courses  of 
masonry,  of  -whieh  I  counted  in  some  places  sixteen  yet  re- 
maining. The  stones  composing  them  seemed  to  be  in  general 
ii'om  three  to  six  or  eight  feet  in  length,  and  about  two  feet 
liigh.  "We  entered  the  precincts  of  the  fortress,  clambering 
over  the  rubbish  formed  by  the  fall  of  a  portion  of  the  wall, 
about  midway  between  a  square  and  a  circular  tower.  From 
the  platform,  on  Avhich  stood  the  bai'racks  of  the  ancient  gar- 
rison, no  trace  of  antiquity  could  be  descried.  The  only  visi- 
l)le  proof  that  the  spot  had  been  inhabited  of  old  was  the 
abundance  of  small  fragments  of  vases  and  other  pottery, 
which  are  found  on  antique  sites  when  all  other  signs  have 
disappeared. 

The  view  from  this  position,  which  was  a  favorite  one  vdih 
Lord  Byron,  is  almost  unequaled.  Not  so  panoramic  as  that 
from  the  summit  of  ]Mount  Pentelicus,  it  presents  in  a  more 
contracted  space  a  ]-)icture  of  Athens  and  its  vicinity.  The 
Avide  notch  in  the  mountain  allows  you  to  distinguish  the  city, 
and  the  Acropolis  towering  above  it.  Ilymettus  beyond  con- 
stitutes a  fine  background — the  plain,  which  is  sunny  and  ani- 
imated,  in  lively  contrast  with  its  sombre,  deeply-furrowed 
side.  To  the  right  of  this  are  the  waters  of  the  Saronic  Gulf. 
If  the  day  be  clear,  the  faint  outline  of  mountains  in  the  Pelo- 
ponnesus is  perceptible  to  the  eye. 

But  the  attractions  of  the  sceneiy  do  not  equal  ihe  historic 
interest  of  this  famous  spot.  The  name  of  Phyle  is  honored 
as  few  others  are,  with  an  inscription  upon  the  brightest  page 
only  of  Grecian  story,  finding  no  mention  in  the  records  of  the 
country's  decline  and  fall.  Its  position  under  the  old  mode  of 
warfare  was  almost  impregnable,  and  commanded  the  passage 
between  two  rival  states ;  but  in  modern  days,  the  Acropolis 
of  Phyle  being  much  less  important,  has  never,  I  believe,  been 
occupied  by  a  military  force.  The  spot  has  been  completely 
abandoned  by  men. 

Tlirasybulus,  an  Athenian  patriot  during  the  reign  of  the 
Thirty  Tyrants,  having  escaped  from  Thebes,  threw  himself 
into  Phyle,  and  Avith  a  handful  of  his  countrymen  set  himself 
in  opposition  to  the  Spartans.  It  required  but  a  short  time 
to  put   flie  fortress  in  complete  order   for  defence,  so  strong 


2y8  UA.MBLKS    IN    A'lTlCA. 

was  its  natural  position,  so  perfect  were  the  walls.  From 
Athens  the  tyrants  viewed  with  anxiety  this  invasion,  and 
determined,  by  the  help  of  their  three  thousand  troops,  to 
crush  the  incipient  rebellion.  But  their  first  rash  attack  was 
repelled  with  ease ;  and  the  assailants  were  compelled  to  at- 
tempt the  reduction  of  the  place  by  cutting  off  supplies.  This 
plan  was  frustrated  without  the  interference  of  the  besieged. 
A  sudden  fall  of  snow  occurred,  and  the  army  decamped,  as 
one  may  imagine,  rather  crest-fallen.  The  tyrants  could  not, 
however,  suffer  an  enemy  to  remain  intrenched  so  close  upon 
the  city,  and  therefore  the  following  day  sent  a  body  of  troops 
to  encamp  as  a  guard  within  a  few  furlongs  of  the  fortress. 
Here  was  a  fair  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  the  general- 
ship of  Thx'asybulus,  who  succeeded  in  surprising  them  one 
morning  about  dawn.  A  second  time  he  put  the  enemy  to 
rout  with  considerable  loss  of  men  and  arms.*  But  with 
Thrasybulus  and  his  noble  exploits  the  short  drama  of  Phyle 
concluded,  and  its  name  even  is  scarcely  heard  again  in  his- 
tory, f  The  ivy — that  faithful  attendant  of  fallen  greatness — 
clings  to  the  now  deserted  walls ;  but  while  its  branches  hang 
down  in  luxurious  festoons  in  front,  its  roots  are  gradually 
loosening  the  massive  stones,  and  contributing  to  the  work  of 
destruction.  I  plucked  a  leaf  with  greater  reverence  than  from 
that  which  creeps  over  the  ruins  of  the  Palace  of  the  Caesars. 
The  return  fi'om  Phyle  Avas  no  less  agreable  than  the  ride 
thither.  The  heat  was  more  moderate,  and  the  sides  of  Hy- 
mettus  and  Pentelicus  were  bathed  in  a  flood  of  golden  light 
as  the  sun  sank  behind  Mount  ^galeos. 

THE    MARBLE    QUARRIES    OF    PENTELICUS. 

The  quarries  of  Mount  Pentelicus  are  celebrated  through- 
out the  world  for  the  spotless  material  they  have  furnished  to 
ancient  and  modern  art.     The  remaining  edifices  of  antiquity 

*  Xenophon,  Hell,  ii.,  4 ;  2-7. 

t  When  it  was  supposed  that  Philip  was  about  to  invade  Attica,  a 
decree  was  passed  that  all  not  on  duty  should  remove  to  Athens ;  and 
that  all  goods  be  brought  in  from  the  fields  into  Atliens  or  Piraeus,  un- 
less they  were  more  than  120  stadia  distant  from  Athens;  in  which 
case  they  were  to  be  carried  to  Eleusis,  Phyle,  Aphidna,  Ehamnus,  and 
Sunium.     {Demosth.  de  Cor..  238.) 


EXCLKSION    TO    I^ENTELICVS.  2yi» 

at  Athens  arc  mostly  constructed  of  Fentelic  marble;  and  the 
columns  of  tlie  Parthenon,  albeit  time  has  not  spared  their  im- 
maculate whiteness,  arc  all  the  more  beautiful  for  the  excel- 
lence of  this  far-famed  stone..  If  there  were,  however,  as  great 
a  demand  for  it  in  Greece  as  there  is  at  present  in  Italy,  wv, 
should  probably  see  no  less  waste  than  in  the  quarries  of  Car 
rara.  It  is  fortunate  that  these  treasures  are  too  remote  from 
the  capital  to  become  an  object  of  spoliation  to  the  Athenians 
of  our  day ;  and  the  best  wish  wc  can  make  for  posterity  is 
that  the  citizens  may  remain  ignorant  of  their  value,  or  indif- 
ferent to  their  beauty,  until  some  new  Phidias  may  arise  to 
make  a  proper  use  of  them. 

A  winter's  day  is  barely  sufficient  to  go  from  Athens  to 
Pentelicus  and  return.  The  quarries,  being  all  the  time  in 
sight,  serve  as  a  goal  to  the  traveler.  I  mistook  them  at 
iirst  for  patches  of  snow.  Starting  from  Athens  in  the  early 
part  of  December  with  a  party  of  American  travelers,  Ave 
followed  for  a  time  the  road  to  Blarathon.  Presently  turn- 
ing to  the  right,  we  reached  the  hamlet  of  Calandri,  pleas- 
antly situated  in  an  olive  grove  at  the  distance  of  six  miles 
from  Athens.  Not  a  house  had  we  passed  on  our  way.  In- 
dependent of  the  fact  that  the  Greeks  are,  like  the  French,  a 
social  people,  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country,  until  within 
a  few  years,  rendered  it  scarcely  safe  to  inhabit  a  lonely  spot, 
even  within  gun-shot  of  the  suburbs.  The  lields,  which  are 
stony  and  sandy,  are  but  poorly  cultivated  in  comparison 
with  the  more  fertile  parts  of  the  country.  A  few  miles  be- 
yond this  insignificant  village,  we  came  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  and  found  here  a  new  and  unfinished  country  seat 
of  the  Duchess  of  Plaisance.  This  eccentric  woman  was  a 
Philadelphian  by  birth,  and  was  married  to  a  Frenchman. 
But  her  oddities  proving  too  much  for  the  happiness  of  both 
parties,  it  was  agreed  that  they  should  live  apart,  though  on 
the  most  friendly  terms.  The  amiable  old  lady  now  confined 
her  attention  to  her  buildings,  and  to  half  a  dozen  dogs  of 
various  kinds,  which  she  took  out  on  an  airing  every  after- 
noon. She  enjoyed  among  the  inhabitants  the  reputation  of 
being  a  millionaire,  from  having  an  income  of  fifteen  or  twen- 
ty thousand  dollars,  which  was  lavishly  expended, 


i>00  KAMBLliS    IN    A-rriOA. 

A  few  rods  farther,  we  entered  a  grove  of  shady  trees,  with 
a  rill  of  cool  water  passing  tlirough  it,  and  came  to  the  Mon- 
astery of  Pentele,  or  Mendele,  for  which,  as  usual,  the  monks 
have  selected  the  most  lovely  spot  in  the  neighborhood.  In- 
tending to  stop  here  on  our  return,  we  commenced  the  ascent, 
and  were  soon  engaged  in  a  steep  and  rocky  ravine,  through 
which,  at  lirst,  the  path  Avinds.  Around  us  we  saw  many 
of  the  shrubs  of  Greece ;  among  them  the  oleander  and  the 
heather,  with  its  copious  bunches  of  flesh-colored  blossoms. 
The  arbutus,  however,  most  attracted  our  attention.  The 
branches  were  laden  partly  with  clustei's  of  bell-shaped  flow- 
ers, and  partly  with  the  yellow  or  red  fruit,  which  has  some- 
what the  flavor  of  the  strawberry.  One  of  our  party,  after 
tasting  sufficiently  of  the  pleasant  berries,  was  considerably 
alarmed  when  he  tound  that  the  color  of  all  Avas  not  similar, 
and  that  the  leaves  of  some  Avere  remarkably  like  those  of 
the  laurel.  His  companions,  for  his  edification,  cited  the  fa- 
mous incident  from  Xenophon  about  the  soldiers  who  were 
poisoned  by  eating  honey  made  from  laurel  flowers.  Recourse 
to  the  guide  dispelled  these  fears,  and  banished  all  thoughts 
of  emetics.  The  suspected  shrub  turned  out  to  be  only  a  A^a- 
riety  of  the  arbutus. 

This  ravine  AA^as  evidently  used  in  ancient  times,  for  there 
are  scA'cral  quarries  of  considerable  extent  on  either  side;  and 
in  one  place  we  found  two  large  blocks  of  marble,  hewn  per- 
haps centuries  ago,  lying  by  the  path.  But  the  principal 
quarries  are  farther  up.  In  themselves,  as  might  be  expect- 
ed, they  are  not  very  remarkable;  it  is  rather  the  immense 
quantity  of  the  stone  Avhich  has  been  removed  at  the  cost  of 
so  much  trouble,  that  strikes  you  with  astonishment.  Here, 
half  way  up  a  A'ery  steep  and  rugged  mountain,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  fifteen  hundred  or  tAvo  thousand  feet  above  the  ])lain, 
whose  houses  appear  like  so  many  dots  in  the  distance,  the 
industry  of  the  extraordinary  people  that  once  occupied  this 
hmd  obtained  the  materials  to  beautily  their  city  Avith  tem- 
ples and  statuary.  Directly  in  front  of  the  quarries  there  are 
remains  of  an  ancient  inclined  plane,  in  some  parts  still  paved 
with  stone,  down  which  tlie  huge  lilocks  of  marble  Avere  Ioav- 
ered  to  the  base  of  the  mountain.     Tlience  thcv  Avere  labori- 


I'liOSrKCT    FKOM    MOUNT    PENTELICUS.  oOl 

ously  earned  to  Athens,  nearly  ten  miles  distant.  The  mar- 
lile,  which  is  of  a  dazzling  whiteness  by  nature,  and,  when 
highly  polished,  resembles  the  purest  wax,  is  here  discolored 
by  the  stains  of  time ;  and  ivy  thrives  where  the  chisel  and 
hammer  are  no  longer  heard.  The  mass  of  rock  that  has 
been  removed  must  have  been  enormous;  and  yet  there  seems 
to  remain  a  boundless  store  to  be  worked. 

Adjoining  the  quarries  was  a  large  cave,  which  we  entered. 
It  was  apparently  about  two  or  three  hundred  feet  in  depth ; 
but  passages  branching  off  from  the  end  run  probably  far  into 
the  interior  of  the  mountain.  It  was  just  such  a  cave  as  the 
ancients  used  to  dedicate  to  the  Muses,  or  to  some  rural  deity. 
The  walls  of  the  cavern  were  hung  toward  the  entrance  with 
tufts  of  delicate  ferns  and  mosses;  and  farther  on  there  de- 
scended from  the  roof  Irfrge  stalactites,  Avhich  in  some  places 
had  formed  thick  columns  to  support  the  vault. 

Above  the  cave  the  mountain  rises  more  than  a  thousand 
feet.  We  ascended  to  enjoy  the  finest  view  I  ever  saw  in 
Attica.  To  reach  the  top  was  a  somewhat  weai'isome  under- 
taking. Our  horses  fell  repeatedly ;  and  we  found  it  alto- 
gether more  agreeable  to  perform  the  rest  of  the  journey  on 
foot.  We  left  them  a  short  distance  below  the  summit,  to 
which  we  climbed  over  rocks,  and  through  clumps  of  the 
dwarf  prickly  oak,  which  abounds  on  these  mountains.  We 
were  favored  with  a  day  than  which  none  could  be  clearer. 
The  eye  ranged  from  Chalcis  to  the  Peloponnesus,  and  to  the 
snow-capped  top  of  Parnassus.  But  it  was  the  distinctness 
with  which  all  Attica  was  laid  out  before  our  eyes  that  most 
.<truck  us.  The  plain  of  Marathon  seemed  actually  spread  out 
at  our  feet  on  one  side ;  and  the  city  of  Athens,  ten  miles  dis- 
tant in  a  direct  line  on  the  other,  could  have  been  seen  dis- 
tinctly but  for  the  intervening  hill,  Lycabettus.  There  is  a 
considerable  heap  of  stones  upon  the  very  summit  of  the 
mountain.  As  the  custom  is,  each  traveler  adds  a  new  stone 
to  it  before  he  leaves. 

On  our  return,  after  a  tedious  descent,  the  greater  part  of 
which  Ave  were  compelled  to  accomplish  on  foot,  we  arrived 
at  the  monastery,  where,  by  the  providence  of  our  good  guide, 
Spiro.  we  found  a  lunch  prepared,  which  we  ate  under  the 


'602  ItAMBLES    IN    A'rriCA. 

porcli  of  the  chui-cli.  The  monastery,  which  is  evidently  an- 
cient, is  surrounded  by  a  wall,  with  numerous  port-holes, 
thi'ou'di  which  the  spiritual  inmates  have,  doubtless,  been 
enabled,  in  more  troublous  times,  to  defend  themselves  against 
the  Turk  or  the  kle/t.  At  such  periods  the  inclosure  became 
a  refuge  for  the  peasants  of  the  neighborhood.  The  dwellings 
within  contain  nothing  worthy  of  attention,  being  constructed 
of  wood  or  stone,  very  irreguhu'ly  distributed  around  the  open 
court ;  but  the  church,  into  which  we  stepped  for  a  moment, 
is  old  and  singular-i.  The  paintings  on  the  walls  are  executed 
in  the  ordinary  Byzantine  style  which  prevailed  a  few  cen- 
turies back  ;  but  the  faces  of  the  apostles  in  some  of  them 
have  more  than  usual  merit.  The  vestibule  was  covered  with 
small  fresco  designs,  half  obliterated  by  time,  in  which  the 
Old  Testament  history,  ancient  myths,  and  modern  legends, 
are  oddly  jumbled  together.  Jonah,  with  a  hideous  sea  mon- 
ster, figures  prominently  in  them.  We  saw  no  monks  about ; 
l)ut  a  company  of  peasants  were  propping  up  the  dilapidated 
trellises  in  the  court.  Leaving  this  interesting  monastery, 
after  having  bestowed  a  trifle  for  hospitality's  sake,  we  were 
soon  coursing  over  the  plain  toward  Athens. 

HYMJETTrS    AND    ITS    BEES. 

Hymettus  is  the  nearest  mountain  to  Athens,  its  base  being 
scarcely  two  or  three  miles  distant  to  the  southeast.  One  day 
in  Januaiy,  I  seized  the  opportunity  of  a  fair  sky  to  visit  the 
lower  parts  of  the  mountain  ;  and  after  an  hour's  walk  across 
the  plain,  commenced  the  ascent.  The  dry  season  was  scarcely 
over,  for  the  first  winter  rain  had  fallen  in  December,  after 
the  annual  drought  of  summer ;  but  the  fields  already  began 
to  look  green,  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  the  common 
anemones  of  every  shade,  from  white  and  blue  to  red.  An 
olive  grove  was  the  first  sign  of  our  approach  to  the  Monas- 
tery of  Syriani,  or  CfEsariani.  It  contains  several  buildings 
for  the  monks.  As  usual  in  the  cloisters  of  Greece,  the  en- 
trance to  the  rooms  is  by  means  of  half-decayed  verandas  and 
staircases  running  up  otl  the  side  of  the  building  tliat  faces 
the  court.  Here,  also,  is  a  church,  over  the  door  of  which  I 
noticed  a  painting  of  the  Presentation  of  the  Virgin  at  the 


A    WAKiaOlt    ABBOT.  y03 

Temple,  which  was  striking  for  its  simplicity.  Anna  sits 
upon  a  step  of  the  building  representing  the  Temple  of  Je- 
rusalem, toward  whose  entrance  the  child  >Mary  advances  ; 
■while  the  angels  who  are  placed  around  proclaim  the  event 
to. the  universe.  It  is  quite  in  contrast  with  Titian's  grand 
conception  of  tlie  same  subject  at  A'enice. 

The  monastery  has  sadly  fidleu  from  its  pristine  glory. 
The  fraternity  is  represented  by  a  single  abbot,  Avho  lives  here 
fjuite  alone.  I  afterward  learned  that  he  is  a  man  of  hospi- 
table disposition  and  agreeable  manners,  and  regretted  that 
I  had  not  made  his  acquaintance.  His  is  a  remarkable  his- 
tory, and  yet  one  that  has  been  often  pai-alleled  in  Greece. 
Previous  to  the  Revolution  he  officiated  as  a  parish  priest ; 
but  having  drawn  the  sword  at  the  time  of  the  war,  and 
killed  some  Turks,  the  strict  canons  of  his  Church  obliged 
him  to  cease  from  his  ministrations.  Under  similar  circum- 
stances, many  others  of  the  clergy  have  become  soldiers,  law- 
yers, or  politicians.  This  man,  howevei*,  preferred  a  retired 
life,  and  settled  down  here.  He  came  near  losing  his  life  sub- 
sequently by  an  act  of  imprudence.  A  noted  Heft — this  oc- 
curred but  a  few  years  since — had  been  infesting  Hymcttus, 
and  le\-)ing  contributions  on  the  peasants  even  within  sight 
of  Athens.  The  abbot  gave  notice  to  the  government  of  his 
lurking-place  on  the  mountain ;  and  the  robber  hearing  of  it, 
vowed  to  take  revenge  on  the  informer.  At  the  same  time, 
with  that  species  of  frankness  which  is  not  inconsistent  in  the 
breast  of  the  brigand  with  the  greatest  amount  of  cunning, 
he  sent  a  letter  to  bis  enemy  apprising  him  of  this  intention. 
Fortunately  for  the  latter,  the  kleft  himself  was  murdered  by 
an  emissary  of  the  government.  A  peasant  was  hired  to  join 
the  robbers,  and  put  himself  under  the  command  of  the  crim- 
inal, whom,  on  the  first  favorable  opportunity,  he  shot.  It  is 
reported  that  this  peasant,  in  his  turn,  became  a  kleft,  and  was 
killed  in  an  affray  with  the  soldiery. 

One  part  of  the  worthy  abbot's  duties  seems  to  be  to  watch 
over  the  miracle,  which  annually  occurs  on  the  festival  of 
some  one  of  the  saints,  and  which  twenty  thousand  persons 
congregate  to  witness.  As  the  wonder  consists  in  a  sudden 
rise  of  the  water  in  a  certain  fountain  to  an  unusual  height. 


i>04  KAMBLKS    IN    ATTICA. 

and  as  the  pipe  that  feeds  it  comes  from  within  the  inclosure, 
it  must  be  allowed  that  his  task  can  scarcely  be  considered 
very  difficult. 

I  climbed  a  ridge  which  lies  directly  back  of  Syriani,  whence, 
though  it  is  not  the  actual  summit  of  Hymettus,  a  view  quite 
as  striking  as  from  Pentelicus  or  Phyle  may  be  obtained. 
But  it  is  not  for  its  scenery  alone  that  this  mountain  has 
gained  celebrity,  for  it  has  lost  much  in  picturesque  appear- 
ance by  the  wanton  destruction  of  the  forest  trees.  The  hon- 
ey of  Hymettus  is  as  well  known  and  as  highly  appreciated 
now  as  of  yore.  The  delicate  flavor  it  possesses  is  said  to  be 
derived  from  the  thyme  that  grows  wild  in  the  greatest  profu- 
sion, both  on  the  mountain  and  in  the  plain.  It  may  be  that 
the  bees  gather  the  greater  part  of  their  honey  on  the  former, 
Imt  the  hives  are  certainly  all  to  be  found  in  the  little  villages 
at  its  base. 

I  remember  Avith  pleasure  a  visit  1  made  to  the  country 
house  of  a  friend  at  the  little  village  of  Cara  (the  whole  of 
Avhich  was  attached  to  his  grounds),  and  the  pride  with  which 
he  showed  me  a  yard  covered  with  hives,  from  which  the  honey 
had  just  been  gathered.  The  hives  were  as  rude  as  possible 
in  form.  A  deep  and  narrow  basket  set  on  end,  with  the 
mouth  covered  over,  is  smeared  with  clay,  rendering  it  per- 
fectly tight.  A  hole  is  then  made  near  the  bottom  of  the 
basket,  with  which  the  bees  seem  quite  content.  Honey  is 
thus  obtained  in  such  abundance,  that  it  is  sold  at  one-third 
of  the  price  the  most  common  kind  commands  in  our  markets. 

THE    STRAITS    OF    SALAMIS. 

The  country  between  Athens  and  the  Straits  of  Salamis  be- 
ing very  level,  we  determined  to  make  a  pedestrian  excursion 
to  the  scene  of  the  naval  conflict  of  Xerxes.  We  started 
about  half  past  nine  o'clock  a.m.,  and  took  the  road  to  Pi- 
raeus. Before  reaching  the  town,  at  the  distance  of  five  miles 
from  Athens,  we  turned  to  the  right,  and  entered  on  a  path 
leading  westward,  parallel  to  the  upper  end  of  the  harbor. 
We  passed  near  the  modern  cemetery,  and,  continuing  our 
walk,  traversed  the  sites  of  two  ancient  demi,  which,  from 
Leake's  map,  seem  to  be  those  of  Echele,  near  l^iraeus,  and 


Thymoeta,  near  the  head  of  Port  Phoron.  The  i-emains  of 
walls  inclosing  the  latter  are  quite  distinct  in  courses  of  large 
stones.  The  harbor  is  small,  but  prettily  situated.  A  caique 
was  taking  on  board  some  bread  when  we  approached,  and 
soon  after  set  sail  in  the  direction  of  Salamis.  It  struck  me 
on  the  spot  that  this  little  bay  is  admirably  adapted  for  smug- 
iiling;  and  so  I  find  it  was  used  in  ancient  times.  This  whole 
district  is  deserted;  and  from  the  time  we  left  the  outskirts 
(if  Piraeus,  we  found  no  house  at  all,  and  met  no  persons  but 
a  few  shepherds  tending  their  flocks  in  solitude,  and  three  or 
ibur  peasants  driving  their  loaded  mules  to  the  ferry  of  Sal- 
amis. 

"We  soon  reached  the  scene  of  action  between  the  Greek 
and  Persian  squadrons.  Not  far  from  where  we  stood,  the 
Great  King  had  caused  his  throne  to  be  erected  in  a  conspicu- 
ous situation.  Seated  upon  this  elevation,  his  eye  could  glance 
over  his  fleet  ranged  in  a  triple  line  in  front  of  him.  Beyond 
it  were  the  high  hills  of  the  island  of  Salamis;  and  at  the 
l)Ottom  of  a  deep  bay  below  them  the  town  of  the  same  name 
could  be  plainly  distinguished.  Across  the  mouth  of  this 
I)ay  the  Greek  vessels  were  drawn  up,  between  the  eastern- 
most promontory  of  Salamis  and  a  small  island  that  lies  in 
the  strait.  The  single  line  of  the  Greeks  was  opposed  to  the 
far  more  numerous  vessels  of  Xerxes,  which  Avere  arranged 
along  the  shore  of  the  main  land  as  far  as  Pirreus.  But  few 
of  the  barbarians  came  into  the  combat.  Their  numbers  only 
increased  the  confusion  that  arose,  from  the  violence  with 
which  the  enemy  rushed  forward  to  meet  them.  The  two 
back  lines  of  ships  were  more  destructive  to  their  own  forces 
than  to  those  of  the  Greeks,  in  a  strait  barely  a  mile  in  breadth. 
Fragments  from  the  wreck  of  this  proud  armament  are  said 
to  have  been  strewn  along  the  shore  for  miles  southward  of 
Piraeus.  "■  The  sea,"  says  yEschylus,  "  Avas  no  longer  to  be 
seen  for  the  broken  ships  and  the  bodies  of  the  slain,  which 
covered  even  the  rocks  and  the  shore.  The  remaining  vessels 
of  the  Persians  had  recourse  to  a  disorderly  flight.  Those 
disabled  were  surrounded  by  the  Greeks ;  and  tiie  men,  like  a 
shoal  of  tunnies  or  a  netful  of  other  fish,  were  beaten  to  death 
with  broken  oars.     Night  alone  put  an  end  to  the  cries  and 


300       '  KA.MBLE:?    IX    A'rriCA. 

p;roans  that  filled  all  the  Pelasgian  Sea;  for  never  before  was 
such  a  multitude  of  men  slain  in  a  single  daj."*  Meanwhile 
the  astonished  and  aifrighted  king,  after  witnessing  the  total 
extinction  of  his  fond  hopes  of  conquest,  and  the  destruction 
of  an  expedition  prepared  at  great  pains,  was  happy  to  find 
relief  from  anxiety  and  danger  in  a  precipitate  and  inglorious 
flight.  This  victory  sealed  the  independence  of  Greece ;  and 
the  battle  of  Plata^a  in  the  succeeding  year  (b.c.  479)  freed 
her  from  all  apprehension  of  fresli  invasions. 

As  we  sat  on  the  sea-shore  at  the  base  of  Mount  -^galeos, 
the  modern  Scaramanga,  identifying  the  localities  before  us, 
and  impressing  their  outline  upon  our  memory,  the  unruffled 
strait  wore  that  calm  and  placid  aspect  peculiar  to  the  waters 
of  this  inland  sea.  Thei'e  was  nothing  to  disturb  the  stillness 
of  the  scene  save  the  caique  we  had  recently  seen,  and  two  or 
tliree  row-boats  crossing  at  the  ferry  of  Salamis.  But  for  the 
sure  testimony  of  history,  we  should  have  doubted  that  nature, 
here  reposing  so  quietly,  had  ever  been  distracted  by  the  din 
of  warlike  conflict,  and  the  tumult  of  deadly  passion. 

*  Til  is  translation  is  that  of  Colonel  Leake,  Attica,  p.  253,  2.54. 


'^jlt'^ff 


TrMPT-F.  OF   MINERVA   AT   SUNIUM. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE  MODERN  GREEK  LANGUAGE. 

Graiis  dedit  ore  rotundo 
Musa  loqui.  (IIoi:  cle  arte  poet.) 

The  modern  Greek  holds  an  intermediate  rank  between  the 
classic  languages  and  those  that  have  arisen  on  their  basis  in 
the  other  countries  of  Southern  Europe.  None  of  the  latter 
have  I'etained  so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  Latin  as  the  former 
bears  to  the  ancient  Greek.  To  this  it  is  owing  that  scholars 
are  divided  in  opinion  with  reference  to  its  intrinsic  character: 
some  calling  it  an  entirely  new  language,  while  others  regard 
it  as  simply  a  dialect  or  corruption  of  the  ancient.  Hence 
the  resemblance  has  hitherto  proved  rather  an  injury  than  an 
advantage  to  its  reputation.  Were  the  diversities  of  inflection 
and  syntax  as  marked  as  in  the  case  of  the  French  or  Italian, 
the  modern  Greek  would  claim  tg  be  judged  exclusively  upon 
its  own  merits;  but  closely  related  as  it  is  to  the  ancient, 
there  is  room  for  invidious  comparison.  The  superficial  ob- 
server is  apt  to  mistake  the  question,  and  is  tempted  to  ex- 
claim, "  How  far  inferior  to  the  tongue  of  Homer  and  Demos- 
thenes !"  instead  of  asking  himself,  "  How  does  the  language 
compare  in  richness,  flexibility,  and  harmony  Avith  the  Italian 
or  Spanish?" 


30iJ  THK    MODERN    GUEEK    LANGUAGE. 

Much  of  the  depreciation  of  the  modern  Greek,  which  it 
has  become  fashionable  to  indulge  in,  arises  out  of  the  diffi- 
culty experienced  by  foreign  tourists,  however  well  educated, 
in  understanding  the  language  in  its  strange  pronunciation. 
The  system  introduced  into  P^urope  more  than  three  centuries 
ago,  and  sanctioned  by  the  name  of  Erasmus,  is  so  unlike  that 
which  prevails  in  Greece,  that  the  accomplished  scholar,  fa- 
miliar with  the  Avritings  of  Plato  and  the  tragic  poets,  can 
neither  understand  the  language  as  now  spoken,  nor  even 
those  eminent  authors  themselves  when  read  aloud  by  a  na- 
tive. It  is  natural  enough,  then,  that  he  should  regard  the 
modern  tongue  as  barbarous,  and  those  that  speak  it  as  de- 
generate scions  of  a  noble  stock.  On  more  profound  examin- 
ation, such  a  scholar  woidd  find  the  difference  less  in  the  lan- 
guage employed  than  in  the  pronunciation  given  to  the  Avords, 
and  that  this  springs  from  two  distinct  sources.  The  more 
palpable  is  the  dilferent  sound  given  to  letters  and  diph- 
thongs; the  other,  the  following  of  the  written  accents  as  the 
sole  guide  in  giving  emphasis  to  syllables.  In  respect  to  both, 
the  usage  of  the  modern  Greeks  is  perfectly  systematic,  and 
throughout  consistent  with  itself  Each  syllable  is  enunci- 
.nted  precisely  as  it  is  written,  and  every  word  emphasized 
according  to  certain  fixed  rules — the  same  that  apply  to  the 
ancient  text. 

Most  of  the  consonants  have  the  same  sounds  as  in  our  sys- 
tem of  pronunciation.  The  letters  B,  A,  and  T  are  soi'tcned, 
the  first  two  being  sounded  like  our  V  and  soft  th  in  that.  S 
is  always  pronounced  like  A',  and  2  never  like  our  Z,  even  at 
the  close  of  a  syllable,  except  when  it  precedes  the  let- 
ter M.  X  has  a  sound  quite  different  from  K,  and  not  unlike 
the  soft  G  af  the  Germans.  It  is,  however,  with  the  pronun- 
ciation of  the  vowels  and  diphthongs  that  most  fault  has  been 
found.  The  Greeks  will  generally  acknowledge  that  they 
have  lost  the  distinction  between  o  and  o>,  which  are  now 
alike  pronounced  long.  But  not  so  with  the  rest.  They  in- 
sist that  at  should  be  pronounced  a?,  and  av  and  er,  af  or  av, 
etc.  No  less  than  three  letters  and  as  many  diphthongs  re- 
ceive in  common  the  sound  of  our  e;  viz.,  tj,  i,  v,  n,  oi,  and 
VI.     It  is  urged  by  those  who  agree  with  Erasmus,  that  it 


GRAMMATICAL    CHANGES.  309 

can  not  be  conceived  that  the  ancients  should  have  employed 
six  different  methods  of  expressing  a  single  sound.  In  reply, 
the  modern  Greeks,  with  the  disciples  of  Kcuchlin.  assert  that 
the  same  inconsistency  might  be  predicated  with  equal  truth 
of  any  other  language.  They  deny  that  the  harmony  of  their 
language  would  be  improved  by  the  admission  of  such  sounds 
as  those  introduced  by  Erasmus ;  and  they  fortify  their  posi- 
tion by  bringing  instances  of  proper  names  of  Greek  origin 
transferred  into  Latin  in  such  a  manner  as  to  show  that  the 
combinations  in  question  could  not  have  been  pronounced  as 
Erasmus  pretended.  The  use  of  the  accents  is  an  equall}- 
fruitful  source  of  contention.  Since,  however,  it  is  not  my 
purpose  to  enter  into  the  discussion  of  this  intricate  subject, 
which  ever  since  the  sixteenth  centuiy  has  di^•ided  the  schol- 
ars of  Europe  into  opposing  parties,  I  shall  only  add  that  the 
system  of  accentuation  has  been  rigidly  adhered  to ;  and, 
whether  originally  intended  for  use  in  pronunciation  or  not, 
has  now  become  so  thoroughly  in^^TOught  into  the  spirit  of 
the  language  as  to  be  followed  out  with  scrupulous  exactness 
in  all  its  details. 

Passing  on  to  the  acknowledged  alterations  of  the  language, 
it  will  be  necessary'  to  specify  a  few  of  the  more  important 
changes  in  the  grammatical  forms.  In  the  declension  of  sub- 
stantives, the  most  apparent  one  is  the  total  loss  of  the  dative 
case.  The  accusative  is  mostly  employed  in  its  place,  pre- 
ceded by  a  preposition.  The  dual  has  entirely  disappeared. 
The  verb  has  been  greatly  simplified  by  omitting  in  common 
discourse,  except  in  a  few  conventional  phrases,  the  optative 
mood,  and  the  perfect,  pluperfect,  and  future  tenses.  The  aux- 
iliary verb  is  introduced  to  express  periphrastically  the  tenses 
that  have  thus  been  lost.  The  infinitive  itself  has  become 
obsolete,  and  is  clumsily  replaced  by  the  subjunctive  with  a 
conjunction  indicative  of  purpose. 

"When  we  consider  the  long  period  of  time  during  which  the 
language  has  been  exposed  to  the  common  ^^cissitudes  of  all 
human  inventions,  it  appears  more  remarkable  that  so  manv 
words  should  have  been  retained  with  little  or  no  alteration, 
than  that  some  should  have  disappeared  and  been  superseded 
by  others  of  foreign  origin.     From  the  very  nature  of  the  case. 


310r  THE  MOUERN  GKEEK  LANGUAGE. 

in  the  continual  intercourse,  both  peaceable  and  warlike,  with 
the  surrounding  nationis,  many  terms  have  been  imported  from 
Italy,  Turkey,  and  Albania.  But  the  most  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance in  respect  to  them  is,  that  they  have  always,  as  far 
as  possible,  been  changed  so  as  to  agree  with  the  analogy  of 
the  Greek  language.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  and  char- 
acteristic alterations  in  Avords  of  undoubted  Greek  origin  is 
the  abundant  use  of  diminutives — forms  indicating,  as  has 
been  somewhere  remarked,  as  great  a  degeneracy  in  the  peo- 
ple who  introduce  them  as  in  their  language  itself. 

A  similar  revolution  has  taken  place  in  the  syntax.  It 
has  become  less  involved,  and  more  consonant  with  the  spirit 
of  other  modern  languages. 

In  this  enumeration  of  the  chief  alterations  Avhich  the  noble 
tongue  of  the  Greeks  has  undergone,  I  have  described  its  con- 
dition at  the  commencement  of  this  century  rather  than  its 
present  state.  The  past  fifty  years  have  wrought  changes  as 
wonderful,  perhaps,  as  the  world  has  ever  witnessed  in  this 
branch  of  knowledge.  It  would  not  be  extravagant  to  assert 
that  there  has  been  a  greater  improvement  in  the  language 
of  the  people  and  the  education  of  the  masses,  than  even  in 
the  government  and  matei'ial  prosperity  of  the  country.  This 
progress,  as  it  naturally  stands  connected  with  the  literary  la- 
bors of  Coray  and  his  less  gifted  competitors,  it  seems  more 
proper  to  associate  with  the  consideration  of  the  modern  Greek 
literature.  But  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  repeat  a  few  of 
its  results,  as  they  appear  at  the  present  day. 

The  emendation  of  the  language  has  been  begun  by  lopping 
off  all  unnecessary  branches.  Every  word  for  which  a  na- 
tive origin  was  not  to  be  found  has  been  proscribed  with  ruth- 
less severity.  Some  of  the  least  offensive,  it  is  true,  have 
been  tolerated  for  a  time,  until  suitable  substitutes  can  be 
found  ;  but  their  fate  is  none  the  less  certain.  Not  that  this 
reformation  could  be  effected  in  a  single  day ;  for,  as  the  de- 
parture of  the  language  from  its  original  purity  has  been  grad- 
ual, so  must  the  return  be  gradual.  Yet  it  has  been  more 
rapid  than  the  most  sanguine  could  reasonably  have  expected. 
The  press  has  been  assiduous  in  its  exertions  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  language.     The  university  has  wielded  a  potent 


NEWSPArKKS    AT    ATHENE.  311 

iufiuence  toward  the  same  end.  Tlie  government  has  favored 
the  movement  by  a  return  to  classic  usage  in  the  language  of 
its  codes  of  law,  and  in  its  judicial  terms,  and  even  by  restoring 
the  ancient  names  of  all  the  townships  throughout  Greece, 
where  any  such  could  be  found.  So  great  and  so  rapid  has  been 
the  change,  that,  as  is  elsewhere  remarked,  even  the  professors 
in  the  University  of  Otho  are  compelled  by  it  to  remodel  the 
diction  of  their  discourses  every  few  years.  The  contagion 
of  this  new  epidemic  has  spread  even  to  the  common  people 
of  Athens  and  the  other  large  towns.  They  are  no  longer 
content  with  speaking  the  same  adulterated  language  as  their 
immediate  ancestors;  and  have  consequently  introduced  words 
and  phrases  that  are  quite  unintelligible  to  their  less  favored 
i'ellow-citizens,  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages  and  rural  dis- 
tricts. 

"What  limits  so  singular  and  so  radical  a  movement  will 
reach,  it  is  beyond  the  knowledge  of  any  man  living  to  fore- 
tell. The  facility  with  which  new  words  can  still  be  intro- 
duced indicates  that  the  language  is  yet  in  that  plastic  state 
in  which  a  master  hand  may  mould  it  as  he  pleases.  At  the 
same  time,  there  is  danger  that  the  imitation  of  foreign,  and 
especially  of  French,  authors,  may  exei't  a  deleterious  influence 
on  its  purity  and  elegance,  by  the  introduction  of  new  and  un- 
congenial idioms.  On  the  other  hand,  a  growing  acquaint- 
ance with  those  classic  models  of  composition  Avhich  they  al- 
ready possess,  will  counteract  the  inclination  of  the  Greeks  to 
copy  blindly  from  their  foreign  contemporaries. 

The  most  serious  inconvenience  spi'inging  fi'om  the  divers- 
ity af  pronunciation  that  exists  between  the  Greeks  and  the 
scholars  of  the  West,  is  the  formidable  obstacle  it  oiFers  to 
their  intercourse  with  each  other.  The  seven  or  eight  mill- 
ions that  speak  the  modern  Greek — a  small  portion  within 
the  bounds  of  the  Hellenic  kingdom,  but  the  greater  part  out- 
side of  it — are  every  year  advancing  in  intelligence,  wealth, 
and  influence.  Their  national  literature  is  promising.  The 
city  of  Athens  already  sustains  a  larger  number  of  journals, 
for  its  size,  than  any  other  city  in  the  world.*     The  language 

*  In  1852  there  were  fourteen  political  papers  published  at  Athens; 
none,  however,  appeared  more  frequently  than  twice  or  three  time^  a 


312  THK    MODERN    OKEEK    I.ANGL'AGE. 

has  even  now  reached  such  a  point,  that  to  acquire  a  reason- 
able degree  of  facility  in  speaking  it  would  be  the  work  of  but 
a  few  months,  for  one  familiar  with  the  ancient  Greek,  were 
it  not  for  the  dissimilarity  of  pronunciation.  As  the  Greek 
})Cople  seems  destined  to  exert  an  important  influence  among 
the  nations  of  the  globe,  it  were  really  desirable  that  this  bar- 
rier to  free  intercourse  might  be  wholly  removed. 

week.  Since  that  date  one  or  two  dailies  have  been  established.  Syra 
liad  three  newspapei's,  and  Patras,  Tripolitza,  and  Chaleis,  each  one. 
There  were  also  three  literary  periodicals  jjrinted  at  Athens,  with  a  total 
circulation  of  about  2000  copies.  Now,  as  tlie  population  of  Athens  is 
estimated  at  26,000  or  28,000  inhabitants,  it  is  evident  that  the  list  of 
subscribers  for  each  of  these  fourteen  political  journals  must  be  very  lim- 
ited. We  were  assured  by  a  prominent  publisher  that  of  none  were 
there  printed  more  than  three  or  four  hundred  copies  !  Nor  is  the  state- 
ment incredible,  taking  into  consideration  the  cheapness  of  manual  la- 
bor in  the  East,  and  the  high  subscription  price  demanded.  Most 
Athenians  read  the  papers  at  the  lesche,  or  coffee-house. 


FOKTKE6S  OF  PHYI.E. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

THE  MODERN  GREEK  LITERATURE. 

The  intellectual  development  of  a  nation  is  a  subject  of  in- 
quiry even  more  interesting  than  its  advance  in  material  pros- 
perity. In  both  cases,  the  causes  that  have  given  impulse  to 
the  activity  of  the  people  are  often  imperceptible  in  themselves, 
or,  in  the  lapse  of  a  few  hundred  years,  have  been  irrecoverably 
lost  sight  of.  Not  unfrequently,  after  centuries  of  inaction, 
which,  had  they  not  been  succeeded  by  a  more  vivacious  pe- 
riod, might  be  mistaken  for  entire  cessation  of  life,  the  popu- 
lar energies  have,  without  any  apparent  cause,  sprung  into 
new  activity.  Such  was  the  fact  respecting  that  nation,  whose 
very  name  is  associated  in  our  minds  with  all  that  is  brightest 
and  most  illustrious  in  remote  antiquity.  Its  political  course, 
indeed,  brilliant  and  extraordinary  as  it  was,  lasted  but  a  short 
time.  Three  or  four  centuries  were  the  limits  of  its  ascend- 
ency ;  after  which  it  receded  to  the  rank  assigned  by  its  con- 
tracted territory  in  the  vast  Roman  empii-e.  But  for  ages 
after  its  political  importance,  and  even  its  independence,  had 
been  lost,  Greece  yet  held  the  first  place  in  literature,  sci- 
ence, and  art.  Even  this  poor  consolation,  however,  was  at 
length  withdrawn.  The  wave  of  barbarism  rolled  over  it, 
and  obliterated  those  marks  of  ancient  greatness  which  had 
been  spared  by  civil  subjugation  and  oppression.     At  last  the 

O  ■ 


314  THE   MODERN    GREEK   LITERATURE. 

Greeks  reached  that  point  of  debasement  to  which  we  find 
them  reduced  at  the  time  of  the  Turkish  conquest.  Every 
spark  of  patriotism  was  extinguished ;  and  the  people  passed, 
without  seeming  to  care  for  the  change,  from  under  the  yoke 
of  the  Franks  to  that  of  the  Turks.  Schools  of  learning  were 
nearly  unknown.  Their  decline  can  be  traced  back  to  the  age 
of  Justinian,  upon  whose  reign,  otherwise  brilhant,  rests  the 
reproach  of  ha\'ing  stopped  the  payment  of  the  sums  that  for 
a  long  time  had  been  applied  to  the  support  of  teachers  in  the 
various  cities  of  his  empire.  The  means  thus  obtained  were 
spent  partly,  we  are  told,  in  the  erection  of  a  new  and  splendid 
cathedral  at  Constantinople,  to  replace  one  destroyed  by  fire.* 
Of  a  revival  of  learning  in  Greece,  the  first  symptoms  be- 
gan to  exhibit  themselves  in  the  last  century.  The  very  state 
of  subjection  in  which  the  nation  lay,  was  the  occasion  of  the 
new  impulse  which  both  the  material  interests  of  the  countiy 
and  its  learning  now  received.  The  Greeks  were  cut  oflf  from 
all  hope  of  enriching  themselves  through  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil,  by  the  continual  presence  and  oppressions  of  the  Turks, 
who,  living  among  the  people,  were  ready  at  any  time  to  seize 
upon  the  avails  of  their  industry.  The  fruits  of  years  of  hard 
labor  were  liable  to  be  plundered  in  a  moment ;  and,  more 
than  that,  they  were  sure  to  involve  the  possessor  in  personal 
danger.  The  inhabitants  of  the  maritime  towns  and  of  the 
islands  possessed  far  greater  advantages.  The  navy  of  their 
masters  was  manned  almost  exclusively  by  them.  They  en- 
joyed the  right  of  carrying  on  commerce  under  the  flags  of 
several  of  the  civilized  nations  of  Europe ;  and  they  thus  be- 
gan to  taste  of  various  immunities,  and  of  partial  independ- 
ence. They  planted  themselves  in  foreign  cities,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  .carrying  on  their  trade  to  greater  advantage;  and 
many  of  the  commercial  houses  that  originated  thus  became 
wealthy.  Meanwhile,  though  far  from  his  native  home,  the 
Greek  merchant  preserved  all  his  affection  for  his  country, 
and  retained  the  hope  of  some  day  returning,  and  spending  his 
old  age  in  comfort,  with  the  wealth  he  had  acquired  abroad. 
It  was  impossible  that  such  constant  and  intimate  intercourse 
with  the  nations  of  Western  Europe  should  be  without  profit 
*  Zonaras.  iii..  ii2. 


REMARKS  OF  LORD  BYRON.  315 

to  a  people  who,  whatever  defects  they  possess,  certainly  show 
an  extraordinary  love  for  improvement. 

Schools  now  began  to  be  established  in  different  cities  of 
Greece  and  Asia  Minor ;  and  a  high  school  was  to  be  found 
at  Jannina,  in  Albania. 

The  chief  teachers  of  these  academies  of  learning  were 
drawn  from  Mount  Athos,  or  the  "  Plagion  Oros"  of  the  na- 
tives, where  some  learning  began  to  spread  among  the  thou- 
sands of  rich  and  idle  monks  who  swarmed  in  the  many  mon- 
asteries. From  schools  such  as  these  must  have  been,  it  was 
not  to  be  expected  that  there  should  arise  men  remarkable  for 
mental  culture.  Accordingly,  among  the  authors  who  flour- 
ished up  to  the  end  of  the  last  century,  we  find  few  or  none, 
if  we  except  Meletius,  the  geogi'apher,  who  enjoyed  a  Euro- 
pean reputation.  Their  scanty  literature,  as  Lord  Byron  truly 
observed,  was  almost  exclusively  confined  to  works  of  a  relig- 
ious character.  EUs  remarks  on  the  causes  of  this  fact  are 
just  and  forcible :  " '  Ay,  but,'  say  the  generous  advocates  of 
oppression,  who,  while  they  assert  the  ignorance  of  the  Greeks, 
wish  to  prevent  them  from  dispelling  it ;  '  ay,  but  these  are 
mostly,  if  not  all,  religious  tracts,  and  consequently  good  for 
nothing.'  Well,  and  pray  what  else  can  they  write  about  I 
It  is  pleasant  enough  to  hear  a  Frank,  particularly  an  En- 
glishman, who  may  abuse  the  government  of  his  own  coun- 
try, or  a  Frenchman,  who  may  abuse  every  government  ex- 
cept his  own,  and  who  may  range  at  will  over  every  philo- 
sophical, religious,  scientific,  skeptical,  or  moral  subject,  sneer- 
ing at  the  Greek  legends.  A  Greek  must  not  write  on  poli- 
tics, and  can  not  touch  on  science  for  want  of  instruction ;  if 
he  doubts,  he  is  excommunicated  and  damned ;  therefore  his 
countrymen  are  not  poisoned  with  modem  philosophy;  and 
as  to  morals,  thanks  to  the  Turks !  there  are  no  such  things. 
What,  then,  is  left  him  if  he  has  a  turn  for  scribbling  ?  Re- 
ligion and  holy  biography :  and  it  is  natural  enough  that  those 
who  have  so  little  in  this  life  should  look  to  the  next.  It  is 
no  wonder,  then,  that  in  a  catalogue  now  before  me  of  fifty- 
five  Greek  ^v^iters,  many  of  whom  were  lately  living,  not 
above  fifteen  should  have  touched  on  any  thing  but  religion."* 
*  Lord  Bvron's  remarks  on  the  Romaic  or  Modem  Greek  Language. 


ni6  THE  MODERN  GREEK  OTERATURE. 

The  popular  literature  of  the  times,  if  that  term  may  be  so 
applied,  comprised  little  more  than  the  poetic  legends  of  the 
saints,  and  a  few  paraphrases  of  Bible  stories.  Some  of  these 
are  not  wholly  destitute  of  merit ;  and  the  quaintness  of  the 
style  adds  force  to  the  narrative.  We  have  seen  a  thick  vol- 
ume of  such  poems,  containing  sometimes  as  many  as  twolve 
hundred  lines,  called  the  "  Cathreptes  Gynaicon,"  or  Mirror 
for  Women.  Though  in  extensive  circulation  toward  the  end 
of  the  last  century,  it  is  probable  that  the  authorship  of  most 
of  them  dates  farther  back.  To  these  must  be  added  a  large 
number  of  popular  kleftic  or  banditti  songs,  as  well  as  a 
few  heroic  hymns,  such  as  that  of  Eigas,  which  were  rarely 
committed  to  writing. 

Commencing  our  retrospect  with  the  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent century,  our  attention  is  naturally  drawn  first  to  Coray, 
at  once  the  father  of  modern  Greek  literature,  and  the  most 
distinguished  writer  it  can  yet  boast  of. 

Adamantius  Coray,  or  Coraes,  was  born  at  Smyrna,  on  the 
27th  of  April,  1748.  His  father,  John  Coray,  was,  however, 
a  native  of  Scio,  and  his  son,  in  accordance  with  the  notions 
of  the  Orientals,  always  considered  that  island  as  his  father- 
land. The  history  of  his  early  days  has  been  preserved  to  us 
in  an  autobiography,  in  which,  within  the  compass  of  a  few 
pages,  he  has  attempted  to  note  the  more  important  events  of 
his  life.  Like  Franklin,  he  records  mistakes  and  mishaps,  as 
well  as  successes.  He  commences  with  the  declaration  that 
"  whoever  would  write  his  own  memoirs  must  note  both  the 
achievements  and  failures  of  his  life  with  such  accuracy  as 
neither  to  magnify  the  former  nor  underrate  the  latter.  A 
thing,"  he  adds,  "most  difficult  of  accomplishment,  on  account 
of  the  selfishness  and  vanity  that  are  implanted  in  each  one 
of  us."  His  father  was  a  man  of  little  education,  but  of  great 
natural  acuteness.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  the  most 
learned  Greek  philologist  of  his  time,  and  had  himself  edu- 
cated his  four  daughters,  who  were  almost  the  only  young 
ladies  in  the  large  city  of  Smyrna  able  to  read  and  write. 

Adamantius  was  early  sent  to  a  school  recently  established 
by  a  Sciote,  which,  he  informs  us,  resembled  all  the  other 
schools  in  Greece  at  that  time;  tliat  is,  tlio  master  gave  very 


YOUTH    OF    COKAY'.  317 

little  instruction,  accompanied  with  overmuch  chastisement. 
So  severe,  indeed,  was  the  latter,  that  his  younger  brother 
Andrew  forsook  his  studies  in  disgust,  contrary  to  his  par- 
ents' advice.  Besides  the  love  of  study  and  emulation,  there 
was  another  motive  that  induced  Adamantius  to  persevere.  I. 
was  the  provision  contained  in  his  grandfather's  will,  that  hi; 
library  should  be  adjudged  to  that  one  of  his  grandsons  who 
should  first  leave  the  school  possessed  of  as  much  knowledge 
as  the  teacher  himself.  This  prize  Avas  the  occasion  of  consid- 
erable rivaliy  between  the  grandchildren ;  but  Adamantius 
was  the  successful  candidate.  The  number  of  books  it  con- 
tained was  small,  but  sufficient  to  convince  the  young  student 
of  the  utter  insignificance  of  the  titles  of  "Most  learned,"  and 
"  Most  wise  and  learned,"  Avhich  at  that  time  were  lavished 
upon  all,  without  exception,  who  knew  the  declensions  of 
nouns  and  the  conjugations  of  verbs.  The  limited  extent  of 
his  own  acquirements,  combined  with  the  extreme  difficulty 
of  making  progress  in  study  in  the  illiterate  city  of  Smyrna, 
instead  of  discouraging  him,  only  roused  him  to  more  earnest 
effiarts.  He  finally  succeeded  in  obtaining  masters  to  instruct 
him  in  Italian  and  French.  These  languages  he  wished  to 
acquire,  less  for  any  direct  advantage  that  he  expected  to 
reap  from  them,  than  for  the  assistance  they  would  furnish 
him  in  the  study  of  Latin.  His  teachers,  he  tells  us,  were 
superior  in  nothing  to  his  former  master,  except  that  they  im- 
parted instruction  without  beating.  But  it  was  to  his  ac- 
quaintance with  a  Protestant  clergyman  that  Coray  used  aft- 
erward to  attribute,  not  only  tlie  progress  he  made  in  litera- 
ture, but  the  moral  principles  that  formed  the  basis  of  his  ex- 
cellent character.  Bernard  Keun,  the  chaplain  of  the  Dutch 
consul  at  Smyi-na,  took  interest  in  the  young  man,  and  in- 
structed him  in  Latin  and  other  languages.  LLis  name  was 
never  mentioned  by  his  scholar  but  with  love.  Two  years 
were  subsequently  spent  by  Coray  in  Holland,  as  an  agent  of 
the  commercial  house  with  which  his  father  was  connected. 

It  was  not  until  1782,  when  more  than  thirty-four  years 
of  age,  that  Coray  succeeded  in  carrying  out  a  long-cherished 
plan  of  going  to  Montpellier,  in  France,  to  study  medicine — a 
Drofession  best  calculated  to  succeed  araons:  the  Turks,  who 


318  Tin:  modern  gueek  literature, 

were  compelled  to  be  respectful  at  least  to  their  physicians. 
For  six  years  he  remained  at  Montpellier,  engaged  principally 
in  his  studies ;  and  in  1787  he  commenced  his  literary  career 
by  the  translation  of  the  Catechism  of  the  Kussian  monk  Plato 
into  tke  modem  Greek  language,  and  of  several  medical  treat- 
ises into  the  French. 

A  year  later  Coray  removed  to  Paris,  which  thenceforth 
became  his  permanent  home.  Thei-e  almost  all  his  works 
were  published,  and  there  he  imagined  that  he  could  write 
with  more  freedom  than  in  his  native  land,  oppressed  as  it 
then  was  by  barbarians,  the  very  sight  of  whom  was  intoler- 
able to  him.  It  was  at  Paris  that  Coray  first  acquired  repu- 
tation as  one  of  the  most  excellent  Greek  scholars  of  Europe. 
The  First  Consul,  Napoleon,  desired  that  a  translation  of 
Strabo's  Geography  should  be  made  into  French,  with  copious 
annotations.  This  work  was  intrusted  to  Coray,  in  connec- 
tion with  two  Frenchmen.  The  first  volume  was  presented 
to  the  Emperor  Napoleon  in  1805,  and  with  such  favor  was 
it  received,  that,  besides  the  annual  appropriation  made  to 
each  of  the  authors  during  the  continuance  of  their  labors,  a 
pension  of  2000  francs  was  conferred  upon  them  for  life.  At 
the  same  time,  the  Emperor  made  to  each  of  them  a  present 
of  a  copy  of  the  splendid  and  costly  work  on  the  Egyptian  ex- 
pedition published  under  his  auspices.  This  translation,  to- 
gether with  that  of  Hippocrates,  which  had  been  previously 
made,  established  the  reputation  of  our  Greek  as  a  scholar. 

But  Coray  desired  no  such  empty  and  unprofitable  distinc- 
tions as  are  acquired  by  the  mere  accumulation  of  knowledge. 
He  longed  to  difl\;se  its  beneficial  influence,  especially  among 
his  own  countrymen.  The  difiiculty,  however,  was  to  deter- 
mine how  their  interests  could  be  best  promoted.  The  disas- 
trous issue  of  successive  attempts  to  liberate  Greece,  and  more 
especially  the  bloody  scenes  which  had  occurred  but  a  few 
years  before,  after  the  Russian  invasion  of  the  Morea,  must 
have  convinced  him  of  the  impracticability,  even  had  he  not 
been  already  persuaded  of  the  inexpediency,  of  endeavors  to 
render  his  native  land  independent.  He  deplored  the  state  of 
ignorance,  and  intellectual  and  moral  degradation  into  which^ 
it  had  fallen,  still  more  than  its  weakness  and  political  subjec- 


FUBUCATIONS    OF    CORAV.  '.i  I  V 

tion.  The  fetters  of  the  tyrant  might  by  some  unexpected 
means  be  broken  ;  but  the  chains  of  ignorance  which  centuries 
had  riveted  could  not  be  so  easily  cast  off. 

Coray's  first  enterprise  "was  to  furnish  those  of  his  country- 
men who  were  desirous  of  learning— ;-and  he  knew  that  there 
were  many  included  in  this  class — with  the  means  of  instruct- 
ing themselves.  He  therefore  commenced  in  1805  what  he 
had  long  contemplated — the  publication  of  the  principal  Gi-eeTc 
authors,  with  copious  notes.  The  utility  of  such  a  sex'ies  can 
be  estimated  only  by  those  who  consider  the  rarity  of  books  in 
Greece,  and  the  still  greater  scarcity  of  dictionai'ies,  works  on 
classical  antiquities,  and  annotated  editions.  F'ew  presses 
were  to  be  found  in  the  country.  All  religious  works  were 
printed  at  Venice  or  Vienna,  as  many  of  them  are  to  the 
present  day.  The  zeal  of  Coray,  however,  would  probably 
have  fallen  short  of  the  accomplishment  of  his  object,  had  it 
not  been  seconded  by  the  liberality  of  the  brothers  Zosimades, 
rich  Greek  merchants  living  in  Northern  Europe,  who  furnish- 
ed him  with  the  funds  requisite  for  the  publication  of  his  vol- 
umes, until  the  malevolent  intrigues  of  the  superstitious  part}- 
induced  them  to  withdraw  their  assistance. 

The  following  works  succeeded  each  other  at  short  inter- 
vals :  An  edition  of  Isocrates  was  the  first,  and  it  raised  yet 
liigher  the  reputation  of  Coray  as  a  critic.  Next  appeared 
Plutarch's  Lives,  Strabo's  Geography,  the  Politics  of  Aristotle, 
his  Nicomachean  Ethics,  the  Memorabilia  of  Xenophon,  Pla- 
to's Gorgias,  and  the  speech  of  Lycurgus  against  Leochares. 
Then  came  the  Strategics  of  Polya^nus  and  of  Onesander, 
-.Esop,  Xenocrates  and  Galen,  Marcus  Aurelius,  Plutarch's 
Politics,  Epictetus,  Arrian,  and  several  others,  making  in  all 
thirty-nine  volumes.  In  some  respects  the  plan  of  these  editions 
is  quite  peculiar.  Each  volume  is  preceded  by  a  preface,  now, 
at  least,  considered  a  most  invaluable  portion  of  the  work. 
These  prolegomena  are  partly  introductory  to  the  study  of 
the  author ;  and  yet  are  made,  at  the  same  time,  the  vehicle 
for  conveying  such  thoughts  as,  in  the  present  state  of  the  na- 
tion, the  editor  thought  most  likely  to  prove  salutary.  Often, 
indeed,  their  connection  with  the  subject  of  the  text  is  very 
slight ;  and,  on  the  whole,  the  prolegomena  must  be  viewed 


320  THE  MODERN  GREEK  OTEKATURE. 

rather  in  the  light  of  distinct  tracts.     Many  of  the  more  im- 
portant have  been  collected  and  published  in  separate  form. 

Among  the  most  attractive  of  these  prolegomena  are  the 
series  prefixed  to  the  first  four  books  of  the  Iliad.  They  are 
devoted  to  the  imaginary  history  of  an  illiterate  parish  priest, 
a  character  of  which,  unfortunately,  too  many  specimens  arc 
yet  to  be  found  in  Greece.  He  is  represented  as  officiating  in 
his  native  A'illage  of  Bolissos,  oii  the  island  of  Scio,  which  the 
author  supposes  to  be  the  birth-place  of  Homer.  This  priest 
was  surnamed  Papa  Trechas,  from  the  rapidity  with  which 
he  was  accustomed  to  run  over  the  church  service — a  feat 
upon  which  he  prided  himself  exceedingly.  He  used  to  boast 
of  his  sixty-four  journeys,  and  hence  esteemed  himself  another 
Ulysses ;  from  whom  he  diftered  only  in  this  respect,  that  he 
made  these  visits  to  the  sixty-four  hamlets  of  the  island,  in- 
stead of  the  distant  seas  and  regions  visited  by  the  Homeric 
wanderer.  This  furnishes  a  good  opportunity  for  the  exhibi- 
tion of  those  errors  in  society  which  rendered  the  priesthood  of 
the  Greek  Church,  in  general,  at  once  the  most  ignorant  and 
the  most  vicious  portion  of  the  commiuiity.  For  Papa  Tre- 
chas had,  in  his  youth,  been  so  wild  and  unruly,  that  a  council 
of  his  i-elatives  had  been  called  to  decide  what  should  be  done 
with  him.  Various  trades  were  proposed,  but  it  was  evident 
that  the  lad  would  not  learn  any  of  them.  At  length  the 
wisest  of  the  conclave  said,  "You  see  before  you  an  ignorant, 
lazy,  thriftless,  and  most  vicious  youth,  and  do  you  counsel 
to  bind  him  out  to  some  mechanic,  as  though  he  were  capa- 
ble of  learning  any  trade"?  What  else  can  you  do  with  him 
than  make  him  a  priest "?"  The  proposition  was  adopted  by 
acclamation,  every  body  wondering  that  the  idea  had  never 
struck  him  before.  And  so  the  boy  was  set  apart  for  the 
priesthood.  But  Papa  Trechas  is  a  character  in  many  re- 
f'pects  far  superior  to  his  fellows.  Under  his  rough  exterior  is 
hidden  a  kindly  nature;  and  his  intellect  needs  only  the  first 
fuste,  in  order  to  thirst  for  learning.  The  awakening  of  his 
ionscience,  and  the  regrets  experienced  in  looking  back  on  so 
jiiany  years  of  his  life  worse  than  wasted,  are  portrayed  in  a 
forcible  manner.  In  short,  Papa  Trechas  is  a  fair  example 
both  of  what  the  priesthood  are,  and  of  what  they  may  become. 


KKUGIOrS   VIEWS    OF   COTIAY  :V2l 

His  history  exhibits,  also,  the  influence  they  will  exert  when 
religion  and  education  have  fitted  them  for  their  sacred  Avork. 
We  have  selected  this  instance  from  the  Prolegomena  of  Co- 
ray,  as  illustrating  the  method  he  took  to  enlighten  the  minds 
of  his  fellow  Greeks  on  subjects  which  he  thought  to  be  of 
vital  importance  to  their  advancement.  In  his  religious  opin- 
ions, Coray  Avas  far  superior  to  most  of  those  AA'ith  Avhom  ho 
Avas  associated.  Philosophy  had  not  disturbed  his  convic- 
tions; but,  on  the  contrary,  had  strengthened  them.  When 
the  tares  of  a  heathenish  superstition  were  eradicated,  the 
pure  gi-ain  Avas  left  to  strike  its  roots  unobstructed  in  a  soil 
Avell  adapted  for  its  gi'owth.  In  his  Avorks  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion is  uoAvhere  avoided,  but  is  ever  treated  in  an  honest  and 
manly  Avay.  After  reading  his  treatises,  no  one  can  doubt 
that  on  almost,  if  not  quite  every  important  doctrine,  his  be- 
lief coincided  AA'ith  that  of  the  Reformed  Churches.  It  was 
Avith  the  object  of  opening  the  eyes  of  the  Greeks  to  the  fact 
that  their  superstitious  observances  A\'ere  not  an  integral  part 
of  their  religion,  but  a  perAcrsion  Avhich  in  the  course  of  ages 
had  crept  in,  that  in  1820  he  published  a  translation  of  the 
remarkable  "  Advice  of  Three  Bishops  to  Pope  Julius  the 
Third."*  "The  publication  of  such  a  work,"  he  informs  us, 
"had  for  its  object  the  improvement,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  justification,  of  the  Eastern  Church.  It  was  impossible 
that  long  serAitude,  while  it  deprived  the  race  of  education, 
should  not  corrupt  the  clergy,  and  confuse  our  religious  be- 
lief WhateA'er,  and  hoAvever  numerous,  may  have  been  the 
sins  of  the  Eastern  Christians,  they  are  not  to  be  compared 
with  the  frightful  abuses  of  the  Papal  Court ;  they  are  but  as 
drops  to  the  ocean.  *  *  *  For  any  one  to  condemn  all  the 
Eastern  priesthood  on  account  of  the  luxury  of  a  few  Sarda- 
napalus-like   bishops  at  Constantinople,  is  as  if  one  should 

*  This  singular  production,  in  the  fonn  of  a  letter  of  counsel  written 
to  the  pope  in  1553,  by  the  three  bishops  of  Brescia,  Capri,  and  Thes- 
salonica,  was  rescued  from  obli\-ion  by  the  diligence  of  the  scholar  Llo- 
rente,  and  first  published  in  his  Monumens  historiques  concemant  les  deux 
pragmatiqiies-sanctions  de  France,  etc.,  1818.  Llorente  having  been  chief 
secretary  of  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  and  having  had  the  princijial  docu- 
ments in  his  hands,  possessed  an  admii-able  opportunity  of  discovering 
the  iniquities  of  the  svstem  with  which  he  wa.s  connected. 

02 


322  THE    MODERN    GREEK    LITERATURE. 

liken  all  the  laity  to  the  Fanariots  of  Constantinople."*  This 
little  work,  containing  so  many  thrusts  against  tlie  Eastern 
Church,  under  cover  of  the  superstitions  of  the  West,  was,  as 
may  be  readily  imagined,  very  obnoxious  to  the  hierarchy. 
Even  the  well-known  fact  that  Coray  was  the  author  of  the 
notes  (though  it  was  issued  anonymously),  would  scarcely 
have  saved  it  from  the  fulminations  of  the  "  Holy  Synod," 
had  not  his  friends  managed  to  postpone  the  consideration  of 
it  until  too  late  to  arrest  its  circulation. 

How  devoted  to  his  country's  prosperity  Coray  was,  we 
have  already  seen.  Yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  no  one  was 
more  grieved  than  he  to  hear  tidings  of  the  commencement  of 
the  Greek  Kevolution.  During  its  continuance,  he  places  the 
following  words  in  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  persons  in  a  dia- 
logue: "  They  (the  instigators  of  the  Revolution)  are  scarcely 
deserving  of  forgiveness  ;  since,  with  the  blood  of  many  myri- 
ads of  men,  with  the  disgrace  of  unnumbered  women,  with 
the  conversion  to  Islam  of  multitudes  of  young  men  and  maid- 
ens, with  the  destruction  of  whole  cities,  tiiey  have  purchased 
freedom  (or  rather  an  image  of  freedom),  which,  after  twenty, 
or,  at  most,  thirty  years,  would  have  been  surely  and  abso- 
lutely obtained,  with  incomparably  fewer  evils."t  About  the 
same  time  he  thus  writes  to  a  friend : 

"  Contostavlos  has  brought  me  a  sacred  relic,  a  dry  twig 
of  a  plant  from  the  tomb  of  the  founder  of  American  blessed- 
ness, Washington.  If  our  political  revolution  had  been  de- 
layed but  twenty  years  more,  there  would  certainly  have  arisen 
among  us  also,  if  not  some  Washington,  at  least  some  diminu- 
tive Washington.  But  now,  my  friend,  from  the  particulars 
they  write  me  from  Greece,  our  government  is  in  a  deplora- 
ble state.  Ambition,  covetousness,  strife  for  power,  complete 
infatuation,  in  a  word,  have  taken  possession  of  the  heads  of 
some  few,  who  would  long  since  have  ruined  their  country 
had  it  not  possessed  Marathonian  warriors,  and  an  enemy  to 
right  against  still  more  stupid  than  themselves."^ 

Coray  lived  to  see  his  country  freed  from  the  domination  of 

*  Blog  'A.  Kopaij,  ael.  31-2. 

t  lipoXeyoiiEva  elq  rhg  'ETrt/cr.  J^iarpilSuc,  I.  21. 

J  'KiriaroTiai  'A.  Koparj.     I.  92  (April  29,  1827). 


MtOPHYTLS    DOUKAS.  b'23 

the  Turks.     He  died  at  Paris,  in  April,  1833,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-five  years.    , 

Next,  perhaps,  to  Coray,  Neophytus  Doukas  (or,  as  the 
name  may  be  anglicized,  Ducas)  was  the  best  philologist 
amon*'-  the  Greeks.  He  was  a  younger  man  than  the  former, 
whom  he  survived  about  tAvelve  years.  Their  minds  were 
strikino^ly  dissimilar.  Both  were  enthusiastically  bent  on  the 
improvement  and  elevation  of  their  unfortunate  fatherland ; 
but  they  reasoned  differently  in  respect  to  the  means  by  which 
this  end  Avas  to  be  obtained.  Doukas,  being  a  member  of  the 
clergy,  had  prejudices,  Avhich  even  liberal  cultux-e  could  not 
wholly  eradicate.  He  perceived  that  the  people  had  fallen 
jnuch  below  their  ancestors  in  all  that  constitutes  the  Avell- 
being  of  a  nation ;  but  he  did  not  trace  this  as  clearly  as  did 
Coray,  to  the  perversion  of  the  Church  from  its  original  char- 
acter and  mission.  At  the  same  time,  Doukas  was  a  blind 
admirer  of  antiquity. 

Li  nothing,  perhaps,  did  the  two  scholars  differ  more  widely 
than  in  the  views  they  adopted  as  to  the  direction  that  the 
modern  language  should  take.  The  singular  position  which 
the  Greek  tongue  occupied  a  half  century  ago,  and  occupies 
still,  is  this.  In  the  midst  of  all  its  corruptions,  it  had  been 
handed  down  from  father  to  son,  Avith  so  much  resemblance 
to  the  original,  that  one  might  hesitate  Avhether  to  consider  it 
a  modem  language  or  a  dialect  of  the  ancient  Greek.  An  im- 
mense number  of  words  had  been  preserved  almost  unchanged. 
The  conjugation  of  verbs  and  the  declensions  of  nouns  Avere 
identical,  except  in  those  forms  Avhich  had  been  simplified  or 
omitted,  or  where  the  auxiliary  Acrb  had  been  introduced,  after 
the  manner  of  the  Western  tongues.  The  pronunciation,  too, 
AvhatCA'er  doubts  Avere  to  be  entertained  as  to  its  conformity 
Avith  the  ancient,  had  adhered  Avith  singular  fidelity  to  the  sys- 
tem of  accentuation :  an  adherence  quite  peculiar  in  such  forms, 
for  example,  as  the  passive  aorists.  But  to  this  original  ele- 
ment of  the  language,  Avhich  Avas  by  far  the  predominating  one, 
there  had  been  added  a  host  of  foreign  words,  particularly  Latin, 
Italian,  and  Turkish,  AA'ith  a  smaller  admixture  from  the  Alba- 
nian and  other  dialects.  Some  insist  that  these  A\'ords,  haA'ing 
existed  for  centuries  in  the  language,  haAe  become  an  integral 


524  illE    MODERN    GREEK    LITERATURE. 

part  of  it,  and  ought  not  to  be  lightly  rejected.  These  per- 
sons warn  the  innovators,  lest,  hy  casting  off  such  terms  of 
foreign  origin,  they  impoverish  their  mother  tongue ;  while 
they  fail  to  supply  their  place  with  others  equally  expressive, 
and  more  in  accordance  with  analogy.  Besides,  they  urge, 
and  not  without  a  show  of  reason,  that  in  the  course  of  twen- 
ty centuries  elapsed  since  the  commencement  of  the  decline  of 
letters  in  Greece,  new  ideas  have  been  introduced,  and  circum- 
stances have  so  changed,  as  to  require  similar  alterations  in 
the  language  of  the  people.  It  would,  of  course,  be  a  useless 
task  to  turn  over  the  pages  of  a  lexicon  to  find  the  proper  Hel- 
lenic word  for  a  railroad,  a  steamboat,  or  a  daguerreotype. 

Doukas  insisted  on  a  rigid  adherence  to  the  ancient  lan- 
guage, and  struck  out  every  word  of  foreign  origin,  or  irre- 
ducible to  a  pure  root.  A  more  serious  fault  was  to  attempt 
tlie  simultaneous  re-introduction  of  a  quantity  of  tenses,  cases, 
and,  worse  yet,  constructions  which  had  fallen  into  disuse. 
The  consequences  of  such  a  course  are  seen  in  the  treatment 
his  works  have  received.  Written  in  a  style  which  is  itself 
entirely  ancient,  the  paraphrases  accompanying  his  editions 
of  various  classical  writers  are  themselves  as  obscure  as  the 
original ;  and  the  modern  Greek  student,  who  refers  to  them 
to  elucidate  some  particular  passage,  finds  so  much  difficulty 
in  interpreting  them,  that  he  at  length  prefers  contenting  him- 
self with  the  meaning  he  can  extract  from  the  author.  His 
notes  are  valued,  but  are  not  read.  Yet  it  must  be  conceded 
that  Doukas  was  a  scholar  of  merit,  and  of  great  learning  in 
his  particular  department.  His  industry  and  capacity  appear 
more  surprising  when  the  fact  is  recalled  that  he  wrote  with- 
out assistance  from  any  European  editions ;  for  it  is  said 
that  he  was  scarcely  acquainted  with  the  Latin,  or  with  any 
of  the  modem  languages  besides  his  own.* 

*  The  works  of  Doukas  with  which  we  are  acquainted-^besides  some 
volumes  devoted  to  rhetoric,  logic,  physics,  and  general  literature-^con- 
sist  of  annotated  editions  of  Sophocles,  Euripides,  Homer,  ^Eschjlus, 
Theocritus,  Pindar,  Anacreon,  and  Aristophanes.  These  editions,  mak- 
ing in  all  twenty-four  volumes,  lie  before  us.  They  were  published 
partly  at  Athens,  and  the  earlier  ones  at  jEgina,  where  Doukas  was  en- 
gaged in  the  instruction  of  the  young.  Of  these  various  works  we  are 
told  that  about  fifteen  thousand  copies  were  jirinted;  a  great  j)art  of 


STYI.K    OF    MODEIJN    WRITERS.  ."rJ.) 

The  views  of  the  clear-sighted  Coray,  in  respect  to  the  di- 
rection which  the  development  of  the  modern  Greek  language 
should  take,  were  directly  opposite  to  those  of  Doukas.  "With 
an  ear  as  quick  to  the  beauties  of  the  classics,  he  united  a  bet- 
ter discernment  of  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  restor- 
ing the  common  language  to  its  original  purity. 

"  As  descendants  of  the  Greeks,  says  the  despiser  of  the 
common  language,  we  ought  to  revive  our  ancestral  tongue, 
'i'hat  would  be  veiy  well,  assuredly,  if  we  lived  in  those  times 
when  the  dead  were  raised,  and  the  gift  of  tongues  was  im- 
parted without  labor.     But  miracles  do  not  occur  every  day."* 

The  obstacles  that  prevent  a  modem  writer  from  ever  at- 
taining a  perfectly  pure  and  easy  style,  if  he  attempt  to  write 
like  the  ancients,  seemed  to  Coray  almost,  if  not  quite,  insur- 
mountable. And  even  this  difficulty  overcome,  a  still  greater 
discouragement  presents  itself,  which  we  shall  introduce  in 
the  critic's  own  words  : 

"  ^Mioever  writes  in  ancient  Greek,  after  a  few  years  (and 
frequently  after  a  few  days),  will  be  forgotten,  together  with 
his  works.  And  why  should  he  be  remembered  ?  Because 
of  the  subjects  on  which  he  "WTites?  But  these,  in  process 
of  time,  Avill  be  more  clearly  and  perfectly  treated  by  our  de- 
scendants. On  account  of  his  classical  phraseology  ?  And 
who  is  so  foolish,  or  has  such  an  abundance  of  time,  as  to 
leave  the  Homers,  the  Platos,  the  Xenophons,  the  Demos- 
thenes, and  so  many  other  wonderful  Greek  writers,  in  order 
to  read  this  new  Hellenist?  On  the  other  hand,  whoever 
exercises  himself  in  the  common  language,  if  his  industry  be 
accompanied  with  judgment,  it  is  possible  that  he  may  attain 
the  rank,  I  do  not  say  of  a  classic  ■writer,  but  of  those  authors 
whom  the  coming  generations  will  examine,  in  order  to  learn 
from  them  the  present  condition  of  the  language."! 

His  description  of  an  author  who  is  too  strict  sn  imitator 
of  the  ancients  is  well  dra^\Ti : 

"  Surrounded  by  lexicographers,  by  Atticists,  by  gramma- 
rians of  every  kind,  he  writes,  erases,  re'writes,  and  again 

nhich  were  distributed  gratuitously  to  the  public  schools  and  to  poor 
students. 

*  KopaJj  Upo/.r'/o/ieva,  p.  42.  +  Id.,  p.  4.S. 


326  THii    MODKKN    GKKEIi    LirEKATUKE. 

erases;  he  is  in  doubt  at  every  phrase,  perplexed  at  every 
period.  Now  he  takes  counsel  of  one  friend ;  now  of  another. 
At  one  time  he  throws  away  altogether  the  happy  concep- 
tions of  his  mind,  because  he  knows  not  how  to  give  them 
birth  in  an  Attic  shape ;  and  at  another  he  lops  them,  in  or- 
der to  make  them  correspond  in  length  with  some  ancient 
phrase,  the  recalling  of  which  he  considers  a  most  fortunate 
idea."* 

But  while  thus  ridiculing  the  thought  of  Avriting  in  "a  lan- 
guage which  the  WTiter  forms,  in  the  first  place,  from  his  lexi- 
con, and  so  gleans  from  the  woi'ds  and  phrases  of  at  least  fif- 
teen centuries,  that  is  to  say,  from  fifteen  languages,"  Coray 
by  no  means  advocated  the  retention  of  the  imperfections  and 
corruptions  of  the  language  as  it  is  now  spoken.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  thought  that  the  time  for  better  things  had  arrived. 

"  What  I  term  a  reformation  of  the  language,  includes  not 
only  the  alteration  of  different  barbarously-formed  words  and 
constructions,  but  also  the  preservation  of  many  others,  w^hich 
those  who  have  not  examined  the  nature  of  the  language  with 
attention  are  desirous  of  banishing  from  it  as  barbarous. 
Such  a  reformation  w^as  impossible  in  the  time  of  Eustathius. 
The  period  of  downfall  is  not  the  suitable  time  for  rebuilding. 
The  householder  weeps  when  he  beholds  from  afar  the  ruin 
of  his  dwelling ;  and  as  soon  as  the  tottering  walls  have  fallen, 
and  the  dust  has  blown  away,  he  approaches  and  collects  as 
many  materials  as  he  can  from  the  ruins,  in  order  to  construct 
a  new  house.  The  moment,  so  long  desired,  for  rebuilding, 
has  at  length  arrived.  *  *  *  However  much  the  language  has 
been  corrupted,  it  still  retains  many  Greek  words,  and  mean- 
ings of  words,  that  one  would  vainly  seek  for  in  the  diction- 
aries ;  many  derivatives,  of  wdiich  only  the  primitives  are 
found  in  the  classics.  In  a  Avord,  it  preserves  many  relics  of 
the  ancient  language — venerable  relics,  the  neglect  of  which 
has  produced  so  many  foolish  grammatical  rules,  so  many 
ridiculous  etymologies,  so  many  miserable  interpretations  of 
classical  authors,  so  many  ignorant  teachers,  and  what  is 
worse,  has  rendered  so  irksome  the  study  of  the  Greek  lan- 
guage."! 

*   Kapari  JlpoTieyofieva,  p.  4.5.  f  Id.,  p.  .S6,  et  seq. 


PANAGlOXES    SOUTSOS.  327 

Such  were  the  two  schools  that  arose:  the  one,  headed  by 
Doukas,  and  more  recently  by  CEconomus,  desirous  not  only 
of  restoring  the  language  at  once  to  its  pristine  purity,  by  the 
re-introduction  of  obsolete  words,  but  also  of  employing  the 
involved  construction  of  sentences,  which  it  is  quite  impossi- 
ble for  a  modern  ear  to  follow ;  the  other  school  proposing  to 
retain  what  is  valuable  in  the  modem  language,  yet  gradually 
to  restore  it  to  the  nearest  practicable  resemblance  to  its  an- 
cient form.  It  must  be  admitted  that  Coray  sometimes  erred 
in  complying  unnecessarily  with  popular  errors — a  defect  the 
more  conspicuous  from  the  rapid  progress  which  the  process 
of  purification  has  since  made.  Yet  modern  authors,  espe- 
cially those  of  the  greatest  reputation,  have  generally  adhered 
to  the  school  of  Coray. 

In  Greece  there  has  happened  the  reverse  of  what  usually 
takes  place  in  the  progress  of  a  nation  toward  a  higher  cul- 
ture and  civilization.  While  prose  literature  has  prospered, 
and  great  progi'ess  has  been  made  in  science,  poetry,  on  the 
other  hand,  has  received  little  attention.  Poems,  it  is  true, 
have  not  been  wanting ;  but,  thus  far,  modem  Greece  has  pro- 
duced no  Homer  or  Hesiod. 

Panagiotes  Soutsos  is  by  many  considered  the  best  contem- 
porary poet.  The  first  volume  of  his  "  Hapanta,"  or  "  Com- 
plete "Works,"  which  is  all  that  has  yet  been  published,  contains 
three  tragedies,  entitled  "  Blachabas,"  the  "  Traveler,"  and  the 
"Messiah."  The  first  treats  of  the  resuscitation  of  the  Greek 
race ;  the  second  is  rather  of  the  nature  of  a  romance,  "  mel- 
ancholy love  being  its  chief  subject."  The  character  of  the 
third  is  sulficiently  indicated  by  its  title.  The  style  of  these 
three  poems  is  purely  Hellenic,  though  the  author  has  avoided 
the  blunder  of  attempting  to  introduce  the  ancient  sjTitax. 
The  greatest  fault  we  have  to  find  with  Soutsos  is  the  inor- 
dinate vanity  that  disfigures  his  preface.  In  speaking  of  the 
various  metres  used  in  modern  Greek,  he  employs  quotations 
from  his  own  poems  as  examples ;  and  this  may,  perhaps,  be 
excused  on  account  of  the  paucity  of  specimens.  But  we  can 
less  easily  pardon  his  egregious  self-conceit,  when  he  not  only 
compares  a  number  of  lines  from  his  tragedy  of  the  "Mes- 
siah" to  some  of  the  most  famous  passages  in  Homer,  and  t<. 


'3'2H  THE    MODEHN    dKKKK     l.nKlJATI  HK. 

one  of  Tasso  (which  he  himself  tells  us  is  yet  the  boast  of 
Italy),  but  even  presumes  to  speak  of  them  as  "  equally  beau- 
tiful."* 

The  poems  of  Alexander  Soutsos,  brother  of  the  author  we 
have  just  mentioned,  are  of  an  entirely  different  stamp.  Of 
his  works  that  lie  before  us,  one,  entitled  the  "  Periplanome- 
nos,  or  Wanderer,"  is  a  poem  in  three  parts,  and  contains 
reminiscences  of  a  journey  in  Western  Europe.  Another, 
''  Greece  in  conflict  with  the  Turks,"t  is  descriptive,  as  its  ti- 
tle implies,  of  various  scenes  in  the  history  of  the  Kevolution. 
A  third  small  collection  of  poems,  "  The  Panorama  of  Greece," 
was  published  in  1833,  and  was  intended  as  a  sort  of  mirror 
of  the  political  state  of  the  countiy,  and  the  maladministra- 
tion of  the  government  during  the  Capodistrian  period,  as  well 
as  the  condition  of  society  at  that  time.  The  fourth  is  a  po- 
litical poem  on  the  Revolution  of  September,  1843,  by  which 
the  Athenians  forced  King  Otho  to  grant  them  the  constitu- 
tion so  long  promised.  From  the  subjects  of  these  poems,  the 
character  of  the  composition  in  which  the  author  delights 
may  easily  be  inferred.  His  style  accommodates  itself  to  the 
matter.  Making  occasional  use  of  language  that  is  strictly 
Hellenic,  he  never  sacrifices  perspicuity  to  ornament,  and  will- 
ingly descends  to  the  language  of  the  market  for  the  sake  of 
being  sprightly  and  entertaining.  His  poems,  being  eminently 
satirical,  are  read  with  avidity  by  all  classes ;  and  his  songs 
are  well  calculated  for  popularity.  Alexander  Soutsos  is  at 
present  as  violently  opposed  to  the  government  and  ministry 
of  Otho,  as  formerly  to  that  of  Capo  d'Istria.  The  political 
tendencies  of  his  various  writings  have  rendered  them  ex- 
tremely offensive  to  the  government,  and  have  on  several  oc- 
casions brought  upon  him  no  little  trouble.  Three  or  four 
years  since,  the  police  of  Athens,  having  learned  by  some  es- 
pionage that  a  political  work  of  his  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
printer,  seized  both  the  printed  sheets  and  the  manuscript. 
This,  of  course,  was  done  in  utter  defiance  of  that  article  of 
the  constitution  which  guarantees  the  freedom  of  the  press ; 
for,  even  had  the  author  been  amenable  to  a  charge  of  libel  or 

*  Tj/(  avTjjg  upaioTTjTo^  emj  are  his  words:  Tlpo'koyoQ  tig  rd,  'ATravra 
n.  ^ovraov,  p.  19.  t  'H  TovpKo/xaxoc  'E^Adc. 


RAXGABES CHIUSTOPOLLUS.  329 

treason  on  the  publication  of  his  poem,  yet  the  laws  of  Greece 
provide  no  punishment  for  the  writer  until  that  moment,  nor 
Jo  they  sanction  the  confiscation  of  his  work. 

There  are  few  Greek  poets  of  so  great  reputation  as  A. 
Rangabes,  who  is  also  well  known  as  an  elegant  prose  writer, 
:i.nd  as  professor  of  archseolog}'  in  the  University  of  Athens. 
We  have  read  with  considerable  interest  a  dramatic  poem  of 
iiis,  entitled  ••  Phrosyne."  referring  to  incidents  in  the  history 
of  Ali  Pasha,  of  Epirus,  at  first  the  determined  enemy  of  the 
liberties  of  Greece,  which  he  was  afterward,  though  vm-nill- 
ingly,  instrumental  in  advancing.  This  production,  it  is  true, 
is  irregular  in  its  composition,  and  extends  to  the  immoderate 
length  of  four  or  five  thousand  lines,  occupying  more  than 
half  of  a  good-sized  volume.  But  the  ••Phrosj'ne"  is  gener- 
ally lively  and  interesting — the  more  so  because  the  author 
chose  a  subject  that  acquires  a  romantic  charm,  from  its  asso- 
ciation with  the  recovery  of  Greek  freedom ;  while  it  is  re- 
cent enough  to  be  within  the  memory  of  the  present  genera- 
tion. How  far  the  loving  character  attributed  to  Mouctares,. 
the  Pasha's  son,  may  be  reconcilable  "with  his  subsequent 
bloody  career,  is  open  to  some  question.  The  poetical  works 
of  Eangabes  have  been -collected  in  a  couple  of  vokunes,  pub- 
lished at  Athens  in  the  years  1837  and  1840. 

"We  have  not  space  to  say  much  of  Salomos,  whose  poems 
have  been  highly  commended,  or  of  some  of  the  younger  poets, 
such  as  Coumanoudes,  who  have  come  more  recently  before 
the  public.  We  can  not,  however,  forbear  mentioning  the 
name  of  Athanasius  Christopoulos,  a  more  ancient  author. 
This  writer  may  be  styled  with  truth  a  new  Anacreon.  We 
scarcely  know  whether  his  productions  should  be  classed  with 
the  literature  of  modern  Greece ;  for  they  are  found  rather  in 
the  mouths  of  the  people,  and  in  collections  of  popular  songs. 
than  in  books.  Confining  himself  almost  exclusively  to  lyrical 
composition,  he  excelled  immeasurably  all  his  competitors. 
There  is  no  pompous  affectation  of  learning  in  his  poems,  but, 
written  in  language  that  all  understand,  and  yet  displeasing 
to  none,  they  exhibit  a  pleasing  freshness  and  simplicity. 
'•  His  verses,"  to  use  the  language  of  one  of  his  fellow-poets, 
•'  inspired  in  the  midst  of  flowery  meads,  and  ^A-ritten  by  soft 


330  THE    MODERN    GREEK    LITEltATCRE. 

murmuring  rivulets,  have  the  fragrance  of  the  rose  and  the 
myrtle,  and  glide  naturally  as  streams  of  water."*  Christo- 
poulos  has  avoided  the  mistake  into  which  a  poet  in  his  cii-- 
cumstances  would  be  most  likely  to  fall — we  mean  a  servile 
imitation  of  the  ancients,  and  a  consequent  degree  of  con- 
straint. In  this  respect  we  know  no  other  modern  Greek 
poet  who  compares  with  him.  His  beautiful  address  to  the 
sun  is  as  pleasing  to  us  for  its  naivete,  as  almost  any  of  the 
odes  of  Anacreon,  some  of  which  it  resembles.  This  poem, 
and  an  ode  to  a  nightingale,  remind  us  of  the  song  in  Ten- 
nyson's "Princess,"  beginning  with  the  words,  "Oh,  swal- 
low, swallow,  flying,  flying  south." 

But  we  must  leave  the  poets,  and  pay  some  attention  to  a 
few  of  the  principal  contemporary  prose  -writers.  The  first 
place  among  these,  in  virtue  of  seniority,  and  a  long  sustained 
reputation,  we  give  to  Neophytus  Bambas,  the  late  venerable 
Professor  of  Ehetoric  in  the  University  of  Athens.  He  was  a 
man  some  seventy  years  of  age,  of  small  stature,  with  a  benevo- 
.lent  face,  and  exceedingly  agreeable  manners.  A  monk  by  pro- 
fession, he  had  few  of  the  prejudices  which  disgrace  that  class 
in  Greece ;  and  received  with  cordiality  every  foreigner  who 
came  recommended  to  him  as  a  friend  to  truth  or  to  letters. 
His  extensive  learning,  acquired  partly  in  his  native  island  of 
Scio,  but  perfected  at  Paris,  pointed  him  out  as  a  suitable 
person  for  undertaking  the  version  of  the  Bible  in  modern 
Greek ;  and  this  task  was  confided  to  him  by  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society.  The  translation,  which  he  accom- 
plished with  the  assistance  of  two  fellow-laborers,  is  acknowl- 
edged to  possess  great  merit,  and  has  been  scattered  far  and 
wide  over  the  country.  Adhering,  as  it  does,  with  fidelity  to 
the  Hebrew  original,  it  varies  in  many  places  from  the  text 
of  the  Septuagint — a  circumstance  which  the  clergy  have  not 
failed,  in  many  cases,  to  use  as  a  handle  for  hindering  the  peo- 
[)le  from  reading  it.  The  style  of  the  translation  is  very  cred- 
i  table,  but  the  translators  have  not  hesitated,  where  circum- 

*  Alexander  Soutsos,  in  his  poetical  'ETrtcrro/l/)  irphg  ^aai^.ea  'ilduva, 
1.  29,  et  seq.  He  informs  us  that  Christopoulos  was  a  Fanariote,  a  na- 
tive of  Constantinople,  and  consequently  brought  up  in  the  midst  of 
Bvzantinc  hixurv  and  follv. 


TRANSLATION    OF    THE    BIBLE.  ^5^1 

stances  required  it,  to  sacrifice  elegance  to  perspicuity.  Such, 
however,  have  been  the  gigantic  strides  Avith  which  the  lan- 
guage has  advanced,  during  even  the  short  space  of  ten  or 
twelve  yeai's,  that  a  new  translation  has  become  necessary. 
Considerable  alterations  have  been  made  in  the  recent  edi- 
tions. This,  indeed,  is  the  case  with  all  books  of  a  popular 
kind.* 

It  is  a  fact  of  no  common  impoi'tance,  and  one  that  Avill 
be  learned  with  pleasure  by  all  well-wishers  of  Greece,  that 
within  a  few  months  the  Bible  translated  into  the  vernacular 
tongue  has  been  made  a  text-book  in  all  the  public  schools. 
The  ministerial  order  which  makes  provision  for  its  introduc- 
tion, also  requires  that  all  the  teachers  shall  henceforth  attend 
at  least  one  course  of  lectures  of  Professor  Contogones  of  the 
Theological  School  of  the  University,  on  the  subject  of  Her- 
meneutics.  Greece  owes  this  decree  to  the  enlightened  states- 
manship of  Mr.  Psyllas. 

Among  the  Greeks,  Bambas  is  better  known  as  a  professor 
of  distinguished  talent,  and  as  the  author  of  several  works  on 
the  Elements  of  Philosophy,  Ethics,  and  Rhetoric,  and  of  sev- 
eral Greek  grammars.  One  of  these  contains  a  comparative 
view  of  the  ancient  and  modern  forms,  and  seems  written  in 
a  truly  philosophical  manner.  It  would  be  very  useful  to  any 
scholar  who  wishes  to  study  the  similarities  and  differences 
in  the  two  languages.  One  of  the  most  important  works  of 
Bambas  is  his  volume  of  notes  on  several  of  the  orations  of 
Demosthenes,  which  are  of  an  exegetical  and  historical  nature. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  learned  professor  of  late  years 
attached  himself  more  and  more  to  the  Eussian  or  Nap^ean 
party,  which  is  hostile  to  the  reformation  of  the  Church,  and 
opposed  to  constitutional  government,  while  it  is  walling  to 

*  To  instance  but  one  out  of  many  changes.  Of  all  the  variations 
of  the  modern  dialect  from  the  ancient,  probably  the  most  singular  is 
the  entire  disuse  of  the  infinitive  mood,  except  in  tenses  formed  by 
raeans  of  the  auxiliary  verb.  The  anomaly  arose  from  the  introduction 
of  the  subjunctive  mood  preceded  by  a  conjunction,  in  places  where  the 
infinitive  was  more  proper.  In  most  cases  of  this  kind,  the  new  edition 
of  the  Bible  in  modern  Greek  has  restored  the  ancient  forms,  which 
are  assuredly  well  understood  by  Athenian  readers,  though  less  intelligi- 
ble to  the  inhabitants  of  the  provinces. 


332  THE    MODERN    GREEK    LITERATURE. 

sacrifice  every  thing  to  the  advancement  of  the  national  am- 
bition. The  weight  of  Bambas  has  thus  been  lost  to  tlie 
cause  which  at  present  needs  the  advocacy  of  every  patriotic 
scholar.  In  the  recent  excitement  at  Athens  among  the  stu- 
dents of  the  University,  we  understand  that  his  pen  was  em- 
ployed in  inciting  the  people  to  the  invasion  of  Turkish  ter- 
ritoiy. 

Professor  Asopius,  who  occupies  a  chair  of  the  Greek  lan- 
guage in  the  University,  is  at  present  considered  the  best  phi- 
lologist at  Athens.  He  is  the  author  of  several  works  on 
Syntax  and  on  Classical  Antiquities.  In  the  thoroughness 
and  variety  of  his  acquirements,  he  resembles  the  lamented 
Coray ;  and  he  has  been  instrumental  in  counteracting,  to 
some  degree,  the  loose  principles  of  morality  which  some  pro- 
fessors, as  well  as  the  priesthood,  have  been  engaged  in  prop- 
agating. 

Among  scholars,  A.  Radinos,  now  holding,  we  believe,  a 
professorship  in  the  Gymnasium  of  Patras,  is  much  esteemed 
for  his  version  of  Herodotus,  which  stands  high  in  public  esti- 
mation, both  for  its  accuracy  and  for  the  correctness  of  the 
style.  The  explanatory  notes,  also,  are  valuable  for  theu' 
clearness  and  ability. 

To  the  department  of  antiquities,  the  investigation  of  the 
numerous  ruins  with  which  the  country  is  studded,  and  the 
determination  of  ancient  sites,  the  Greek  mind  has  not  yet 
applied  itself  with  vigor  and  success.  Up  to  the  present  mo- 
ment, the  best-informed  archceologists  and  topogi'aphers  have 
been  foreigners :  among  whom  Colonel  Leake,  the  English- 
man, stands  pre-eminent.  Few  can  be  found  in  the  coun- 
try who  have  any  tolerable  knowledge  of  a  branch  of  study 
which  might  be  supposed  to  offer  the  greatest  facilities  for  at- 
taining distinction.  At  the  same  time,  the  government  pre- 
tends to  be  most  studiously  careful  of  the  ruins  that  remain, 
and  has  enacted  severe  penal  laws  against  the  exportation  of 
ancient  works  of  art ;  while  the  people  manifest  a  patriotic 
indignation  toward  Lord  Elgin,  the  spoiler  of  the  sculptures 
of  the  Parthenon.  Something  has  been  done  in  the  study  of 
antiquities.  Mr.  Pittakes,  who  has  devoted  his  life  to  this 
subject,  has  published  all  the  inscriptions  to  be  found  about 


HISTORICAL    WORKS.  333 

the  capital,  together  with  much  antiquarian  information,  in  a 
book  entitled  ''L'Ancienne  Athenes,"  and  recently  a  more 
extensive  work  on  the  same  subject.  An  Archaeological  So- 
ciety has  been  established,  having  the  same  objects  in  view, 
and  by  its  publications  has  contributed  to  enlarge  our  ac- 
quaintance with  the  ancient  world.  Its  recent  researches  are 
unusually  interesting.  A  certain  plot  of  ground,  along  the 
base  of  the  northern  side  of  the  Athenian  Acropolis,  was  found 
to  contain  some  inscriptions,  from  the  tenor  of  which  it  came 
to  be  suspected  that  the  senate-house,  on  whose  walls  the  ta- 
bles of  laws  were  suspended,  was  situated  there.  Means  were 
found  by  the  society  to  purchase  the  ground,  and  to  prosecute 
the  excavations.  The  result  has  been  the  discovery  of  several 
interesting  inscriptions,  of  which  the  most  entire  is  a  copy  of 
a  treaty  of  alliance,  made  in  the  year  378  B.C.,  between  the 
Athenians  and  several  of  the  islands,  against  Sparta.  It  af- 
fords a  striking  confirmation  of  the  historical  accuracy  of  Dio- 
dorus,  Avho  mentions  the  circumstance  and  the  conditions  of 
the  treaty.*  Similar  investigations,  if  prosecuted  with  the 
requisite  energy, Mould  undoubtedly  disclose  records  even  more 
important. 

To  history  greater  attention  has  been  paid  than  to  archseol- 
ogy.  But  historical  taste  and  accuracy  are  of  slow  growth" 
in  themselves,  and  require  the  possession  of  large  and  costly 
libraries.  The  distinguished  historians  of  our  owti  continent 
have  been  obliged  to  resort,  for  some  of  their  most  valuable 
sources,  to  the  public  libraries  and  archives  of  England,  Spain, 
and  Holland.  It  is  not  remarkable,  then,  that  Greek  writers, 
who,  until  within  ten  years,  have  had  few  opportunities  of 
consulting  even  the  most  indispensable  works,  have  not  ac- 
complished much  in  historical  literature.  They  have,  in  fact, 
confined  themselves  to  translating  or  compiling  from  the  his- 
tories of  their  own  ancestors,  MTitten  by  Goldsmith  and  Grote.f 
To  modern  historj',  and  especially  to  that  of  their  own  revolu- 
tionary struggle,  they  have  made  more  considerable  contribu- 
tions ;  but  these  have  taken  the  form  of  personal  narratives, 

*  Diod.  XV..  27. 

t  Goldsmith's  history  is  the  ordinary  text-book  in  aU  the  common 
schools  of  the  kingdom. 


334  THE    MODERN    GKEEK    LITERATURE. 

or  contemporary  chronicles,  rather  than  of  dignified  history. 
They  are  not  the  less  important,  however,  on  this  account. 
By  their  means,  whoever  will  attempt  to  write  a  connected 
histoiy  of  the  Greek  lievolution,  will  be  furnished  with  ample 
materials.  That  event  is  yet  too  recent  to  be  viewed  with 
impartiality  by  a  native,  still  less  by  one  who  was  himself  an 
actor  in  its  scenes.  Even  a  foreigner  Avould  need  the  utmost 
discrimination  to  discern  the  good  from  the  evil,  and  to  decide 
how  far  the  Greek  nation  has  disappointed  any  just  expecta- 
tions of  progress  in  civilization  and  intelligence. 

The  "Memoirs  of  the  Revolution,"  by  Germanos,  arch- 
bishop of  Patras,  are  among  the  most  authentic  of  the  his- 
torical sketches  that  have  yet  appeared,  but  they  embrace 
merely  the  first  three  years  of  the  war.  This  prelate  was  one 
of  the  conspirators  who  met  at  the  Monastery  of  Hagia  Laura, 
near  Calavryta,  and  was  the  first  to  raise  the  standard  of  re- 
bellion— a  fact  that  invests  his  account  of  the  earlier  events 
with  considerable  interest.  He  died  in  1825,  on  his  return 
from  the  West,  whither  he  had  been  sent  on  a  political  mission. 
It  was  not  until  1837  that  the  work  of  Germanos  was  pub- 
lished, under  the  editorial  supervision  of  Kastorches,  who  as- 
sures us  that  it  is  given  to  the  public  precisely  as  it  came 
from  the  hands  of  the  author.  Of  the  same  class  is  the  work 
commenced  by  Speliades,  of  which  one  large  volume  was  pub- 
lished four  years  ago.  A  number  of  pamphlets  have  been 
written  on  the  "  Heteria"  of  conspirators,  to  whose  efforts  the 
outbreak  of  the  Revolution  was  in  part  attributable.  ]\Ir. 
Tricoupes,  the  Greek  minister  at  the  court  of  St.  James,  has 
recently  published  a  work  which  will  probably  afford  to  for- 
eign readers  the  most  reliable  account  of  tlie  war.  We  can 
speak  of  its  merits  only  from  the  general  commendation  with 
which  it  has  been  received.* 

There  is  another  period,  to  which  it  seems  remarkable  that 
the  learned  men  of  Greece  have  not  paid  more  attention.  The 
age  of  Miltiades,  Themistocles,  and  Cimon,  Avas  certainly  the 
most  glorious  epoch  of  Greek  history.     It  has  long  occupied 

*  All  the  constitutions  and  other  official  papers  of  Greece,  from  1821 
to  1832,  have  been  collected  in  a  few  volumes  by  A.  Z.  Mamoukas,  and 
constitute  the  documentary  history  of  the  Revolution. 


MEDLKVAL    HISTORY.  335 

the  attention,  and  engrossed  the  study,  of  distmguished  men 
throughout  Europe;  and  nothing  but  merit  of  the  highest 
order  can  hope  to  Avin  laurels  among  so  many  competitors. 
Meanwhile,  the  history  of  mediaeval  Greece,  or,  to  speak  more 
accurately,  of  Greece  from  the  time  of  its  subjugation  by  the 
Romans,  has  until  the  present  time  been  deemed  unworthy 
of  the  merest  epitome.  And  this  neglect  has,  imfortunately, 
been  intentional,  arising  from  the  prejudice  entertained  against 
the  INliddle  Ages.  The  Greeks  of  the  present  day  are  keenly 
sensitive  to  the  imputation  of  descent,  not  fi*om  Ilellenus  and 
Cecrops,  but  from  a  horde  of  Sclavonian  settlers,  who,  it  is 
said,  took  possession  of  their  country  during  its  ages  of  bar- 
bai'ism,  precisely  as  the  Albanians — a  branch  of  the  same 
stock — seized  upon  whole  villages,  both  in  Northern  Greece 
and  the  Morea,  within  the  last  himdred  and  fifty  years.  They 
repel  the  chai'ge,  and  regard  its  supporters  with  mingled  in- 
dignation and  contempt.  The  first  place  in  their  resentment 
is  undoubtedly  held  by  the  German  professor,  Fallmeriiyer, 
who,  not  without  display  of  learning  and  ability,  endeavored 
to  prove  that  the,  modern  Greeks  are  descended  from  the 
Goths  and  other  barbarians,  and  that  the  ancient  race  has 
entirely  disappeared  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  A  theory  so 
startling,  carrying  with  it  so  slight  an  air  of  probability,  called 
forth  numerous  "refutations"  and  "answers"  from  the  Athe- 
nian press.  Of  course,  no  definite  conclusion  has  been  reached, 
by  the  admission  of  both  parties ;  but,  while  it  were  useless  to 
deny  that  an  admixture  of  a  tSclavonic  element  has  been  intro- 
duced by  successive  colonizations  and  wars,  it  is  yet  more  ab- 
surd to  suppose  that  the  gi-eater  part  of  the  nation  is  not  of 
Hellenic  origin.  Excepting  the  immediate  investigation  which 
this  discussion  has  elicited,  no  attention  has  been  paid  to  this 
interesting  portion  of  their  history  by  native  writers.  It  has 
been  abandoned  almost  exclusively  to  the  distinguished  histo- 
rians, Buchon  and  Finlay.* 

*  M.  Buchon,  besides  republishing  the  chronicle  of  the  Frank  con- 
quest of  the  Morea,  is  the  author  of  the  "  Nouvelles  Eecherches  sur  la 
I'rincipaute'  Fran9aise  de  More'e,"  and  other  writings  on  the  same  sub- 
ject. "  La  Grece  Continentale  et  la  More'e,"  by  the  same  author,  is  one 
of  the  best  books  of  travels  in  Greece  that  we  have  seen.     'Sir.  Finlav's 


336  THE    MODERN    GREEK    LITERATURE. 

But  while  broad  and  inviting  fields  of  investigation  have 
been  neglected,  the  Greeks  have  not  been  wholly  unmindful 
of  the  glory  to  be  acquired  in  some  studies  which  have  lately 
become  popular  in  Western  Europe.  We  refer  to  the  ex- 
amination of  the  treasures  of  literature,  so  long  locked  up  in 
the  Eastern  languages.  A  young  Athenian,  Avho  had  already 
distinguished  himself  by  his  acquirements,  resolved,  in  the 
year  178C,  to  leave  the  city  of  Constantinople  for  Calcutta, 
whither  he  had  been  invited,  in  order  to  instruct  the  children 
of  some  Greek  merchants  residing  there.  The  opportunities 
thus  afforded  were  not  lost  upon  the  studious  youth  ;  and  be- 
sides the  English,  he  acquired  a  good  knowledge  of  the  San- 
scrit, Persian,  and  Hindoostanee.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years 
more,  Demetrius  Galanos — such  was  his  name — had  obtained, 
by  his  assiduous  labors,  a  competency,  enabling  him  to  devote 
himself  entirely  to  the  study  of  the  Oriental  languages.  Hav- 
ing deposited  his  small  fortune  in  the  hands  of  some  trust- 
worthy merchants,  he  set  off  for  the  holy  city  of  Benares. 
There  he  clothed  himself  like  a  Brahmin,  as  his  biographer 
assures  us,  "  and  following  their  customs,  %nd  associating  with 
the  most  holy  and  learned  of  their  wise  men,  in  the  space  of 
about  forty  years  he  not  only  acquired  an  extensive  knowledge 
of  Indian  philology,  but  also  was  initiated  by  the  most  ap- 
proved teachers  into  their  highest  theology.  He  made  such 
attainments  in  their  virtue  and  wisdom,  as  to  be  regarded  by 
the  English  colonists,  and  the  other  Europeans,  as  well  as  by 
the  most  pious  Brahmins  and  Indians  generally,  as  a  most 
holy  and  learned  man."  Whether  by  this  language  our  bio- 
grapher intends  it  to  be  understood  that  Galanos,  while  so- 
journing among  the  Brahmins,  renounced  Christianity,  and 
feigned  adherence  to  their  creed,  does  not  appear.  At  all 
events,  during  the  time  spent  at  Benares,  he  devoted  himself 
in  part  to  translating  some  Brahminical  works.  At  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  that  place  in  1833,  in  the  seventy-second 
year  of  his  age,  he  left  nearly  half  his  estate,  or  about  six 

well-known  "Greece  under  the  Romans,"  "Medieval  Greece,"  etc., 
form  a  continuous  history  of  the  country,  from  the  fall  of  Corinth  to  the 
end  of  the  last  independent  duchy,  to  be  concluded  by  a  history  of  the 
Mibjugfition  by  the  Turks  and  of  the  late  Revolution. 


A  GKEEK  BOOK  IN  ROMAN  CHAKACTKRS-       337 

thousand  dollars,  to  the  principal  academy  of  learning  at 
Athens,*  and  also  bequeathed  to  it  all  his  manuscripts.  The 
funds  -were  employed  in  erecting  the  building  of  the  University 
of  Athens,  where  his  manuscripts  are  preserved,  the  greater 
part  of  them  having  been  published  under  the  editorial  super- 
vision of  Mr.  Typaldos,  the  librarian,  in  six  octavo  volumes. 
They  consist  of  translations  of  various  poems,  and  collections 
of  wise  and  moral  sayings,  some  of  which,  according  to  the 
assertion  of  learned  Europeans,  were  pre\-iously  unknown  in 
Europe,  and  were  published  for  the  first  time  through  the 
Greek  version.  The  accuracy  of  these  translations  is.  we  be- 
lieve, undoubted ;  and  if  the  originals  are  new  to  the  literary 
world,  the  accomplishment  of  this  work  is  an  achievement 
highly  creditable  to  the  philology  of  young  Greece.  It  is, 
however,  hardly  to  be  expected  that  any  but  domestic  subjects 
should  generally  possess  much  interest  for  the  Greeks,  who 
can  find  in  the  investigation  of  their  own  annals,  and  those  of 
their  ancestors,  and  in  the  advancement  of  science  and  art  in 
their  own  country,  a  more  appropriate  work  for  the  present. 

The  novel  attempt  was  made  in  the  last  century,  by  some 
members  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  to  introduce  into  the  East 
the  use  of  Eomau  letters  in  place  of  the  old  Greek  character. 
The  only  book  printed  on  this  plan,  so  far  as  we  know,  is  one 
that  appeared  first  in  1746,  and  was  republished  at  Constan- 
tinople in  1843.  It  is  entitled  "  The  Rest  of  the  Heart  in  the 
Holy  Will  of  God,  by  Father  Thomas  Stanislas  Velasti,  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus ;  a  treatise  compiled  from  the  works  of  Father 
Rodriquez  of  the  same  Society.'"  In  this  singular  volume,  other- 
wise ofiering  little  entertainment  to  the  foreign  reader,  every 
analogy  of  the  language  has  been  neglected ;  and  one  unac- 
customed to  the  modem  Greek  pronunciation  vdVL  frequently 
be  sadly  perplexed  in  attempting  to  recognize  under  their 
strange  disguise  even  the  more  common  words.     It  is  hardly 

*  Mad.  la  Comtesse  de  Gasparin.  in  her  Voyage  au  Levant,  i..  p.  208, 
speaks  of  Galanos  as  a  priest,  and  as  having  died  at  Athens.  WTiereaa 
his  biographer,  Mr.  Typaldos,  expressly  tells  us  that  his  uncle,  then 
member  of  the  Holy  Synod  of  Constantinople,  hanng.  proposed  that  he 
should  enter  the  priesthood,  he  refused  on  account  of  his  zeal  for  let- 
ters (p.  li).  Galanos  died  at  Benares,  where  there  is  a  montunent, 
^th  an  EngUsh  inscription,  standing  over  his  grave  (p.  30). 

P 


338  THE    MODKKN    GKEEK    LITERATURE- 

necessary  to  add,  that  so  absurd  an  innovation  has  found  little 
favor  with  either  the  learned  or  the  illiterate  ;  and  the  book  is 
reo'arded,  by  those  who  are  aware  of  its  existence,  merely  as  a 
curiosity  of  literature. 

The  discussions  arising  from  the  ecclesiastical  state  of 
Greece,  have  been  the  occasion  of  the  publication  of  a  work 
by  Pharmakides,  which  possesses  more  than  ordinaiy-interest. 
The  circumstances  that  called  it  forth  have  been  detailed  on  a 
previous  page.  This  fearless  author  does  not  confine  himself 
to  a  simple  refutation  of  the  dangerous  principles  contained  in 
the  "  Tome"  of  the  Holy  Synod  of  Constantinople.  He  boldly 
attacks  the  whole  system  of  prelacy,  and  declares  the  hierarchy 
to  be  the  gradual  outgrowth  of  the  ambition  and  servility 
which  early  invaded  the  Church.  "The  mode  of  govern- 
ment," he  says,  "  instituted  in  the  Church  by  the  holy  apostles 
was  democratic,  and  sacred  history  so  acknowledges  it.  The 
churches  gradually  tended  to  form  a  community  of  federal, 
equal  churches,  independent  of  the  secular  power.  *  *  After 
the  death  of  the  democratic  disciples  of  Christ,  political  equality 
was  for  a  while  maintained  between  the  numerous  churches ; 
and  notwithstanding  that  there  were  enrolled  in  this  federal 
league  rich  and  populous  cities,  yet  each  formed,  until  the 
fourth  century,  an  equal  church,  and  consequently  the  bishops 
were  all  equal.  But  finally  the  episcopal  hierarchy  appeared, 
and  in  due  time  Popes  and  Patriarchs.  From  democracy,  the 
Church  passed  to  aristocracy."  Again  he  observes,  speaking 
of  the  primitive  ages : 

"At  that  time  there  existed  no  Archbishops,  Exarchs, 
Patriarchs,  or  Popes.  Every  church,  whether  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  a  bishop  and  elder  or  elders,  or  of  an  elder  or 
elders  only,  was  independent,  and  governed  itself.  The  sub- 
jection of  one  church  to  another  was  unheard  of  None  had 
power  over  another.  But  equality  and  fraternity  are  not 
pleasing  to  human  pride  and  ambition.  Accordingly,  the  prim- 
itive democratic  government  was  overthrown,  and  an  aristoc- 
racy established  in  its  stead." 

The  extracts  we  have  given  may  suffice  to  indicate  the  gen- 
eral character  of  the  work,  which,  in  fact,  does  not  relate  so 
much  to  the  doctrines  as  to  the  government  of  the  Church. 


GKOAVLNG    TASTE    FOR    LETTERS.  339 

Its  influence  upon  the  public  mind  at  the  time  was  sudden 
and  powerful.  The  Avhole  edition  of  two  thousand  copies  was 
exhausted  in  four  or  five  weeks,  and  the  strength  of  its  argu- 
ments may  be  inferred  no  less  from  tlie  violence  of  the  oppo- 
site party,  than  from  the  satisfaction  of  the  liberals.  The 
"  tome"  has  been  abandoned,  and  nothing  more  is  now  heax'd 
about  the  scheme  of  union.  The  style  of  Pharmakides  is 
good,  but,  like  that  of  many  of  the  theological  writers  of  the 
present  day,  somewhat  patristic.  His  mind  is  vigorous,  and 
his  mode  of  thinking  original.  With  most  of  his  countrymen, 
he  is  much  attached  to  his  native  land,  and  to  the  religion  of 
his  forefathers ;  which  he  reveres,  not  only  as  a  divine  revela- 
tion, but  as  a  bond  of  concord  between  the  now  dissevered 
branches  of  the  Greek  race,  and  as  the  potent  means  of  efiect- 
ing  their  political  union. 

"With  reference  to  works  of  fiction,  we  do  not  know  that 
any  thing  worthy  of  mention  has  issued  from  the  Athenian 
press.  The  public  are,  however,  abundantly  supplied  with 
translations  of  all  the  principal  French  novels,  such  as  those 
of  Eugene  Sue,  Dumas,  and  others  of  the  same  class.  Less 
taste  has  been  manifested  for  the  classic  works  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott ;  and  we  doubt  if  any  of  Cooper's  tales  have  ever  ap- 
peared in  Greek  dress. 

Before  closing  this  brief  survey  of  the  progress  of  modern 
Greek  literature,  we  can  not  forbear  noting  the  marked  influ- 
ence which  the  judicial  department,  the  bar,  and  the  learned 
professions  generally,  have  exercised  over  the  rising  taste  for 
letters.  In  the  term  learned  lyrofessioiis  it  is  not  intended  to 
include  the  clergy.  Whatever  progress  has  been  made  in 
Greece  has  received  but  little  assistance  from  them ;  though 
it  must  be  allowed  that  this  circumstance  has  been  owing  to 
their  ignorance,  rather  than  to  any  settled  purpose  of  retard- 
ing the  regeneration  of  their  country.  Some  noble  exceptions, 
too,  will  be  found  even  among  those  whom  we  have  men- 
tioned. In  jurisprudence,  the  greater  part  of  the  codes  of 
laws  have  been  draAvn  from  those  of  the  French,  and,  as  we 
conceive,  very  unfortunately  in  some  cases,  as,  for  instance, 
those  treating  of  religious  liberty  and  toleration.  The  law 
terms  have  been  borrowed,  so  far  as  practicable,  from  those 


340  THE    MODERN    GREEK    LITERATURE. 

that  were  in  use  in  the  Athenian  courts  two  thousand  years 
ago ;  and  the  legal  nomenclature  is  quite  intelligible  to  a 
classical  scholar.  The  courts,  rejecting  technical  words  of  for- 
eign origin,  have  materially  contributed  to  the  restoration  of 
the  ancient  language.  Talents  of  a  high  order  have  already 
been  exhibited  at  the  bar  of  Athens.  Indeed,  the  Greek  mind 
seems  to  be  peculiarly  suited  to  excel  in  the  legal  profession. 
Acuteness,  vivacity,  and  energy  it  possesses  in  a  high  degree ; 
and  we  would  recommend  to  the  curious  the  perusal  of  the 
speeches  of  the  counsel  in  the  several  trials  of  Dr.  King,  and 
in  that  of  the  followers  of  Kaires,  as  favorable  examples  of 
forensic  eloquence.  We  must  not  fail  to  allude  more  particu- 
larly to  the  defence  made  by  'Mr.  Saripolos  in  the  latter  case, 
valuable  not  less  for  its  eloquence  than  for  its  classic  purity ; 
and  more  interesting  as  containing  a  noble  assertion  of  the 
great  doctrine  of  religious  liberty,  both  in  respect  to  faith  and 
worship.  The  first  verdict  in  favor  of  the  points  contended 
for*  was  the  result  of  this  eloquent  defence. 

The  University  has,  however,  accomplished  even  more  than 

*  Kaires,  a  native  of  Andros,  and  a  well-known  friend  to  education, 
was,  after  a  protracted  struggle  between  his  disciples  and  the  fanatical 
party,  tried  by  the  Criminal  Court  of  Syra,  upon  the  accusation  of  hav- 
ing publicly  taught  atheistic  doctrines.  He  was  found  guilty,  and,  with 
three  of  his  followers,  was  thrown  into  prison,  whence  he  made  his  ap- 
peal to  the  court  of  the  Areopagus  at  Athens.  Barely  a  week  before  the 
trial  of  the  appeal,  Kaires  died  in  his  cell,  of  a  disease  contracted  in  the 
loathsome  building  in  which  he  was  confined.  The  appeal  was  tried  in 
behalf  of  the  three  remaining  appellants.  We  transcribe  the  first  para- 
graph of  the  speech  of  Mr.  Saripolos  on  this  occasion,  which  may  serve 
the  curious  as  a  specimen  of  the  ordinary  language  used  in  the  courts 
at  Athens : 

'O  KatpTj^  aTckdave,  ual  uTridavev  dduog.  'Qg  rrpbc  avTov  KaTrjpyrjdjj  tj 
Slki]  dwdfiei.  tov  vofiov.  'A?.a'  ottoIov  jusya  /J.u6rjfia  eSuke  rrpbg  rfjv  kni- 
■yeiov  6i.Kaioavvj]v  avrbg  6  Qeo^  /caAeaaf  Ivuttlov  tov  uva/iapr/JTov  6cKa- 
aTTjpiov  TOV  TOV  Oe6(j)L'Aov  Katpjjvl  'O  "TipLaTog  olovel  iKKa7.iaag  tvumov 
iavTov  TT)v  SIktjv  ug  Tvpbg  Tbv  KaTrj-)  oprjOevTa  stvI  alpEaiapxig.  Qe6(J)i?iOv 
KatpTjv,  u7te6ei^e  'rrpotpavug,  otc  al  Toiavrai  diKai  v~£Kd)Evyovai  ti}v  upjiodi- 
OTTjTa  TravTog  ETrr/Eiov,  ttovtoc  ff  uvdpuwuv  avyKEKpo-yfxei'ov  diKaarripiov. 
Tldaa  kotu  tov  'T-ipiaTov  7Tpoajio}.fj  vtto  fiovov  tov  'YipicTov  upfiodiug  tKdc- 
Ku^erai '  tovto  Si,  SioTi  jiovog  6  "TTpLcrog  sivac  jj  avTakrjdEia,  ?'/  avToSiKai- 
oavvrj.  Mwof  6  "TrpiaTog  6  Itu^uv  voiiv  koI  KopScav,  /lovog  avTog  6  ttjv 
u7t,rjdEiav  uKpipcJc  yivuaKuv,  fiovog  avrbg  7.Eyu,  elvai  Kal  dtKaaTr/g  irrl  tuv 
drzoKAEiaTiKug  kv6ca<p£p6vTuv  airbv  ^Tjrrjfiurov 


GREEK    LEXICOGRAPHY.  341 

the  bench  or  the  bar  in  advancing  the  cause  of  science.  The 
profeseoi'S,  being  men  of  talents,  many  of  Avhom  have  been 
educated  in  "Western  Europe,  exert  a  strong  influence  upon 
the  hundreds  of  students  who  daily  congregate  within  their 
lecture-rooms ;  and  through  their  instrumentality,  more  than 
through  any  other,  the  language  has  attained  a  degree  of  pu- 
rity much  higher  than  would  have  been  deemed  possible  thirty 
years  since.  So  that  now,  even  among  the  common  people  of 
Athens,  quite  a  difterent  idiom  is  employed  from  that  in  use 
elsewhere. 

We  conclude  by  mentioning  the  principal  dictionaries  to 
be  found  in  modem  Greek :  both  to  exhibit  the  point  Avhich 
lexicography  has  reached,  and  to  indicate  the  facilities  afford- 
ed for  the  study  of  a  language  and  litei-ature  just  beginning  to 
attract,  among  Avestern  scholars,  the  attention  which  they 
merit.  Among  the  lexicons  for  the  study  of  the  ancient 
Greek,  the  foremost  rank  is  held  by  that  of  the  Archiman- 
drite Gazes,  republished  at  Vienna  in  1835,  Avitli  numerous 
additions  and  emendations,  drawn  principally  from  the  lexi- 
cons of  Fassow  and  others.  It  consists  of  three  large  quarto 
volumes,  and  contains  a  copious  supplement  of  proper  names. 
The  various  articles  are  exceedingly  full ;  the  meanings  suffi- 
ciently numerous ;  and  the  examples  cited  abundant,  and,  in 
general,  well  selected.  It  is  a  convenient  work  for  one  who 
wishes  to  compare  the  variations  of  the  modern  language 
from  the  ancient.  Smaller  lexicons  have  been  published  by 
Koumas,  and  lately  by  Scarlatus  Byzantinus,  which  are  less 
fully  illustrated  by  examples.  "We  can  do  no  more  than  enu- 
merate a  kw  of  the  dictionaries  of  the  modern  languages  and 
the  modern  Greek.  The  Rev.  Jlr.  Lowndes  published  many 
years  ago,  at  3Ialta,  an  English-Greek  and  also  a  Greek-En- 
glish lexicon.  But  besides  being  antiquated,  they  are  meagre 
and  defective ;  and  when  a  word  has  many  distinct  significa- 
tions, it  is  rare  that  all,  or  nearly  all,  are  enumerated.  Manv 
words,  too,  in  both  languages,  are  altogether  omitted.  For 
the  more  common  words  of  conversation,  however,  these  works 
will  be  found  very  useful.  A  very  good  English-Greek  lex- 
icon was  published  in  18.54,  by  George  Polymeres,  at  Her- 
mopolis,  on  the  island  of  Syra.     Although  written  especiallv 


342  THE   MODERN    GREEK   LITERATURE, 

to  meet  the  wants  of  Greeks  studying  the  English,  it  is  a 
valuable  manual  for  the  acquisition  of  the  Greek  language. 
The  Greek-French  lexicon  of  Scarlatus  Byzantinus  is  the 
most  complete,  as  far  as  relates  to  the  higher  Greek  especial- 
ly ;  and  hence  it  supplies  the  deficiencies  of  that  of  Lowndes. 
Tlie  French-Greek  dictionary  of  llangabes,  Samourcases,  and 
Kicolaides  Lebadcus,  is  constructed  upon  the  basis  of  that  of 
the  French  Academy  ;  it  is,  probably,  the  most  satisfactory  of 
the  whole  series.  But  in  order  to  learn  many  of  the  words 
used  by  the  people,  and  which  rarely  find  their  way  into  print, 
except  in  the  collections  of  proverbs  or  popular  songs,  one 
must  have  recourse  to  more  ancient  works,  such  as  the  "Lex- 
icon Triglosson,"  published  some  iifty  or  sixty  years  since. 
Even  with  the  aid  of  this,  the  meaning  of  a  popular  word  or 
phrase  will  often  be  sought  in  vain.  This  difficulty  is  en- 
hanced by  the  differences  of  dialect  prevailing  in  the  several 
districts.  It  can  be  overcome  only  by  the  assistance  of  the 
oral  explanations  of  a  native.  But  an  Athenian  can  by  no 
means  understand  all  the  terms  occurring  in  a  Laconian  la- 
ment or  a  Thessalian  song.  This,  it  will  be  remembered,  is 
only  true  of  the  popular  bnllads. 

The  brief  and  necessarily  imperfect  view  that  we  have  taken 
of  the  present  literature  of  Greece,  may  perhaps  lead  some  to 
a  more  just  appreciation  of  the  richness  of  its  contents.  Its 
progress,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  has  been  unparalleled,  if 
the  short  period  during  which  the  nation  has  had  a  political 
existence,  and  the  ditliculties,  both  moral  and  physical,  at- 
tending every  step  of  improvement,  be  taken  into  account. 
Twenty-five  years  of  repose,  after  a  war  almost  of  extermina- 
tion— and  these  years,  too,  disquieted  by  intestine  commotion 
and  foreign  interference — are  surely  not  a  long  period  to  allow 
for  the  regeneration  of  Greece,  after  the  degrading  influence 
of  twenty  centuries  of  subjection.  An  impartial  mind  will  be 
rather  surprised  at  the  extent  of  what  has  been  done,  than 
disappointed  at  the  failure  of  some  perhaps  too  sanguine  ex- 
pectations. 


THE   STRAITS  OF    SAI.WIIS. 


CHAPTER  XXin. 


BALLAD  POETEY. 


"  Religious,  Martial,  or  Civil  ditties ;  which,  if  wise  men  and  prophets 
be  not  extremely  out,  have  a  great  power  over  disposition  and  manners, 
to  smoothe  and  make  them  gentle  from  rustic  harshness  and  distem- 
pered passions."  Milton  on  Education. 

A  FOKCiBLE  writer  has  somewhere  characterized  the  rich 
ballads  of  Spain  as  '•  Iliads  without  a  Homer."  The  descrip- 
tion is  no  less  appropriate  to  those  of  modem  Greece.  No- 
where have  warlike  deeds  been  more  frequent ;  nowhere  have 
thej  been  better  appreciated.  Under  a  poetic  disguise  is  con- 
veyed a  faithful  transcript  of  the  social  history  of  its  popula- 
tion. Here  we  are  to  look  for  traces  of  ancient  customs,  and 
for  superstitions  half  extinct.  From  the  popular  poetry  of 
any  nation  we  can  judge  with  certainty  of  the  prevailing 
tastes,  and  the  grade  of  civilization.  For  in  the  ballad  the 
indi\"iduality  of  the  author  is  merged  in  the  mass  of  those  who 
appropriate  not  only  his  sentiments,  but  his  expressions.  The 
poet  is  merely  the  spokesman  of  the  people ;  and  the  popu- 
larity of  his  production  is  a  pi'oof  that  it  is  consonant  with 
their  way  of  thinking.  But  the  songs  of  Greece  possess  an 
additional  claim  to  interest,  in  the  fact  that  they  contain  the 
only  record  of  many  incidents  of  her  history  for  several  cen- 
turies preceding  the  hour  of  her  resuscitation.  An  oppressed 
race  naturally  resorts  to  them  to  express  without  restraint  the 


344  BALI.AI)    POKTUY. 

Story  of  its  sufferings,  and  to  recount  the  exploits  of  its  brave 
champions  that  foreshadow  a  coming  deliverance.  Unfortu- 
nately the  record  is  but  fragile,  rarely  or  never  committed  to 
writing,  and  scarce  outliving  the  generation  that  gave  it  birth. 
Twenty  or  thirty  years  is  the  ordinary  span  of  even  the  most 
widely-known  ballad.  The  valorous  deeds  or  the  misfortunes 
of  a  new  hero  engross  the  sympathies  of  all ;  and  his  no  less 
noted  predecessor  must  give  way  before  his  rising  renown. 
Thus,  doubtless,  have  a  thousand  fragments  of  historic  loro 
been  forever  lost  to  the  world.  A  Avriter,*"  through  whose  in- 
strumentality attention  was  first  drawn  to  modern  Greek  bal- 
lads, supposes  that  of  near  one  hundred  and  fifty  specimens 
contained  in  his  collection,  but  one  can  be  as  old  as  the  end 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  that  has  been  pi'eserved  ever 
since  in  writing.  The  others  are  handed  down  orally ;  and 
the  most  ancient  ascertained  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  old.  The  majority  relate  to  occurrences  at  the  end  of 
the  last  and  the  commencement  of  the  present  century. 

The  popular  songs  of  Greece  may  be  arranged  in  several 
.distinct  categoi'ies.  The  first  comprises  the  large  and  varied 
class  of  Heroic  or  Kleftic  poems,  in  which  the  adventures  of 
the  klefts  are  related  at  length,  and  with  a  general  adherence 
to  strict  accuracy  of  fact,  except  in  certain  portions,  which 
contain  a  conventional  form  of  exaggeration.  These  pieces 
are  the  most  interesting  in  a  merely  historical  point  of  view. 
Next  comes  the  class  of  Romantic  poems,  peculiar  for  the 
most  part  to  the  islands,  where  the  imagination  has  received 
a  different  tinge,  from  contact  with  the  Western  European 
mind.  More  curious  than  these  are  those  songs  composed  for 
special  domestic  events,  forming  in  the  minds  of  the  people  an 
essential  accompaniment  to  tlie  celebration  of  the  marriage 
rite,  or  sung  in  mournful  strains  over  the  corpses  of  the  dead. 
The  former  are,  for  the  most  part,  handed  down  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  witli  little  deviation  from  a  stereotype  form. 
in  each  particular  district.  The  latter  have  little  in  common, 
and  are  the  spontaneous  offspring  of  a  lively  imagination,  ex- 
cited by  the  sad  emotions  of  the  occasion. 

*  C.  Fauriel,  Chants  Populaires  de  la  Grece  Modeme  (Paris.  1824), 
p.  99. 


TRIXCIPLES    OK    GREEK    POETRY.  i545 

Before  entenng  upon  a  more  particular  notice  of  these 
classes  of  poems,  it  is  important  to  understand  the  principles 
on  which  they  are  composed.  It  is  admitted  by  all  that  the 
rhytlim  of  the  Greek  language  has  undergone  a  very  consider- 
able, if  not  a  total,  metamorphosis.  The  distinction  between 
long  and  short  syllables,  which  Avas  the  basis  of  the  ancient 
poetr}-,  having,  A^th  the  lapse  of  ages,  been  completely  lost 
in  the  common  pronunciation,  a  new  principle  of  versification 
was  introduced,  conforming  to  tiie  highly  scientific  an'ange- 
ment  of  the  accents  with  which  the  language  was  provided. 
"Who  was  the  first. to  adapt  himself  to  the  alteration,  it  is, 
perhaps,  too  late  to  ascertain.  In  the  middle  of  the  twelfth 
century  almost  all  poetical  Avorks  Avere  so  Avritten,  even  though 
their  language  might  be  completely  ancient  in  character.  The 
verse  in  most  common  use  is  the  heroic,  composed  of  fifteen 
syllables,  and  divided  into  two  hemistichs,  the  former  con- 
sisting of  eight,  and  the  latter  of  scA-en  syllables.  "The  funda- 
mental foot  is  the  iambus ;  and,  consequently,  the  accent  falls 
generally  upon  the  even  syllables.  Some  Aariation  from  this, 
hoAA'ever,  is  allowed ;  and  trochees  frequently  appear,  espe- 
cially in  the  commencement  of  either  half  line.  The  principal 
accents  must  fall  on  either  the  sixth  or  the  eighth  syllable  of 
the  fii'St,  and  on  the  sixth  of  the  second  hemistich.  This  is 
the  metre  employed  in  almost  all  kleftic  songs,  and  in  many  of 
the  lyrical  productions.  There  are  a  variety  of  other  metres 
more  or  less  commonly  used. 

To  appreciate  that  extensive  collection  of  ballads  AA-hich  re- 
late to  the  warlike  exploits  of  the  fdefts,  it  is  indispensable 
to  have  some  acquaintance  A\dth  their  adventurous  tempera- 
ment and  insecure  mode  of  life.  As  the  name — changed,  by 
a  mere  aspiration,  from  the  classic  word  for  robber — suffi- 
ciently indicates,  the  klefts  were  a  class  of  freebootei-s,  support- 
ing themselves  by  forced  contributions  levied  upon  the  Aillages 
of  the  districts  they  infested.  But  their  deeds  of  rapine  did 
not  subject  them  to  that  weight  of  indignation  which  so  law- 
less a  course  of  life  might  naturally  call  forth,  as  they  Avere 
regarded  in  the  light  of  a  political  party  rather  than  as  rob- 
bers and  outlaws.  Young  men  Avho  could  not  endure  the  re- 
strictions they  suffered  at  home,  and  longed  for  freedom  and 

P2 


340  BALLAD    POETRY. 

repose;  men  in  the  prime  of  life,  who  through  a  succession  of 
years  had  been  tlie  victims  of  oppression,  and  whom  some 
outrageous  act  of  arbitrary  violence  had  rendered  impatient 
of  the  yoke  they  had  been  meekly  bearing :  such  were  the  ma- 
terials from  which  Colocotroni,  Liakos,  and  others  formed 
their  invincible  bands.  There  were  men  of  all  ages,  ranks,  and 
conditions ;  but  one  feeling  animated  them  all,  and  that  was 
hatred  to  the  Turks,  and  to  those  who  patiently  submitted  to 
their  tyranny.  Retiring  to  the  mountains,  they  led,  under 
the  generalship  of  some  experienced  cajDtain,  a  life  of  inde- 
pendence, subject,  nevertheless,  to  the  greatest  hardships  and 
privations.  Safety,  or  an  opportunity  of  plunder,  frequently 
necessitated  the  execution  of  marches  of  surprising  length  and 
difficulty.  At  times  the  stock  of  provisions  was  almost  ex- 
hausted, and  the  Ide/t.was  compelled  to  put  up  with  the  scan- 
tiest fore,  and  subsist  on  the  roots  of  such  wild  plants  as  Avould 
satisfy  his  hunger.  But  then,  again,  the  elders  of  a  village  pre- 
sented large  sums,  and  furnished  provisions  to  the  band,  to 
secure  immunity  from  plunder.  Occasionally,  too,  some  rich 
bashaw  fell  into  their  hands,  and  was  not  i-eleased  until  he 
had  paid  a  heavy  ransom.  The  Greeks  were  generally  ex- 
empted from  these  levies,  except  when  want  pressed  heavily. 
The  monks,  however,  were,  from  their  indolence  and  wealth, 
special  objects  of  dislike  ;  and  the  kkfis  were  not  slow  in  turn- 
ing to  their  own  use  the  accumulated  stores  of  the  monastery ; 
while  the  parish  priest  was  rarely  incommoded,  farther  than 
being  forced  to  read  prayers,  or  say  the  last  offices  for  their 
dead. 

At  length,  tired  of  the  constant  annoyance  which  a  band  of 
resolute  men  could  inflict  upon  their  provinces,  the  Pashas 
would  send  proposals  of  peace,  and  engage  to  employ  the 
klefts  as  a  body  of  hired  troops.  With  the  change  of  occupa- 
tion, their  name  was  changed  to  Armatoloi,  or  militia-men. 
An  opportunity  was  now  afforded  the  Turks  of  compassing 
by  treachery  the  destruction  of  their  new  and  formidable  allies. 
It  was  rarely  lost.  Those  who  escaped  the  massacre  of  their 
chiefs,  joined  by  fresh  recruits,  were  soon  again  wild  klefts 
upon  the  mountains,  inflicting  deeper  wounds  upon  their  ene- 
mies, and  animated  by  hatred  yet  more  deadly  against  the 


SUBJECTS    OK    TUE    BATXADS.  347 

Turks.  This  alternation  from  resistance  to  peace,  and  from 
peace  again  to  rapine  anil  plunder,  was  of  continual  recurrence 
in  the  western  and  northern  portions  of  Greece,  where  the 
klefts  were  most  numerous.  The  plains  of  Thessaly  and  Epirus 
suffered  most  from  their  ravages.  Mount  Olympus  and  Kis- 
sabos  (the  ancient  Ossa)  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  bal- 
lads as  the  head-quarters  of  these  bands. 

Such  were  the  Hefts,  Avhose  history  might  furnish  matter 
for  a  volume  of  romantic  interest.  Regarded  less  in  the  light 
of  robbers  than  as  brave  opposers  of  Turkish  tyranny  and 
champions  of  Greek  independence,  their  praises  were  in  the 
mouths  of  those  even  who  were  too  timid  to  imitate  their 
valor.  To  confound  the  Jclefts  of  the  period  anterior  to  the 
Revolution  with  the  class  that  now  infest  some  portions  of 
Greece,  would  be  entirely  to  mistake  their  character,  the  prin- 
ciples for  which  they  contended,  and  their  importance  in  a 
historical  point  of  view. 

The  ballads  rarely  contain  a  reference  to  more  than  a  sin- 
gle incident  in  the  life  of  a  brave.  It  may  be  a  signal  vic- 
tory gained  over  a  vastly  superior  force  of  the  enemy;  or 
some  almost  miraculous  escape  from  their  hands.  More  fre- 
quently the  entire  poem  is  a  poetic  lament  over  the  disastrous 
fate  of  the  warrior-chief,  Avho  has  fallen  into  the  snare  set  for 
him  by  a  wily  Pasha,  or  by  the  treacherous  elders  of  some 
village,  who  would  court  favor  Avith  the  ruler  by  surrendering 
into  his  hands  the  kkfts  that  have  taken  refuge  in  their  midst. 
One  relates  the  fortunes  of  a  brave  named  Diakos,  who  has 
seen  all  his  men  cut  down  about  him,  and,  after  losing  both 
gun  and  sword,  has  fallen  alive  into  the  enemy's  hands.  Al- 
though life  and  promotion  are  promised  him,  if  he  will  but 
apostatize,  he  chooses  to  be  impaled,  rather  than  deny  his 
faith  and  the  religion  of  his  forefathers. 

From  the  great  abundance  of  kleftic  ballads,  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  select  any  that  will  convey  a  correct  notion  of  their 
general  character ;  and  the  difficulty  is  yet  more  sensibly  felt, 
when  the  attempt  is  made  to  render  into  foreign  prose  the 
flovAnng  verses  of  one  of  the  most  sonorous  of  modern  lan- 
guages. The  following  poem  I  have  chosen,  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  generality,  less  for  any  peculiar  merit  than  because  of 


348  BALLAD    POKTRY. 

its  brevity.     It  is  the  lament  of  a  wounded  cliief,  who  feels 
that  his  end  is  fast  approaching : 

"The  Sun  is  setting,  and  Demetrius  commands  his  men: 
'Go,  my  braves,  to  the  water,  that  ye  may  eat  bread  this  night; 
And  thou,  Lamprakes,  dear  nephew,  sit  near  me  here. 
Put  on  my  arms,  and  see  that  thou  do  them  lionor. 
And  ye,  my  braves,  take  my  poor  sword ; 
Cut  me  green  boughs,  and  spread  them  for  my  bed. 
Bring  me  a  priest  to  hear  all  my  confession, 
That  I  may  tell  him  all  my  sins  that  I  have  done. 
Thirty  years  an  Armatolos,  and  five-and-twenty  a  Kleft ; 
And  now  Death  has  come  to  me,  and  I  must  die. 
Make  my  tomb  wide,  and  let  it  be  high ; 
That  I  may  stand  erect  to  fight,  and  have  room  to  load. 
And  on  the  right  side  do  you  leave  a  window ; 
That  the  swallows  may  come  to  bring  the  spring. 
And  the  dear  nightingales  warble  in  the  good  month  of  May.'  "* 

The  folio-wing  is  a  record  of  the  death  of  Theodore  Metros  : 

"In  the  hall  of  Theodore,  at  the  palace  of  Metros, 
Much  people  is  gathered ;  man}'  are  assembled  together. 
'Is  not  a  marriage  taking  place,  or  is  it  a  festival  ?' 
Neither  is  it  a  marriage  nor  a  festival : 
But  Metros  is  ill,  grievously,  and  like  to  die. 
Physicians  come  and  go ;  but  of  cure  there  is  none. 
His  comrades  weep  for  him,  and  weeps  his  sister ; 
His  mother  weeps  for  him,  and  his  sad  father  too. 
'Dost  thou  wish  for  marriage,  Metros,  that  I  may  give  thee  a  wife  ? 
'I  wish  no  marriage,  mother.     Stoop,  that  I  may  kiss  thee. 
Care  for  my  children,  my  poor  boys. 
Bring  me  my  dear  sword,  mother,  that  I  may  kiss  it ; 
And  bring  my  gun,  that  I  may  bid  it  farewell. 
Charon  has  betrothed  me,  he  has  betrothed  me : 
He  has  given  me  the  stone  for  a  mother-in-law,  the  monument  for 

wife ; 
And  the  worms  themselves  for  brothers  and  cousins.'  " 

A  striking  peculiarity  of  this  species  of  poetry  is  the  abund- 
ant employment  of  parallelisms ;  the  second  clause  being  fre- 
quently a  counterpart  of  the  first,  though  it  may  convey  the 
same  idea  in  a  somewhat  varied  dress.  No  less  remarkable 
is  the  structure  of  the  introduction  to  the  ballad.  Some- 
times all  Nature,  by  a  forcible  hyperbole,  is  represented  as 
plunged  in  mourning  at  the  disaster  that  has  befallen  the 

*  In  the  collection  of  popular  ballads  by  Zambelius,  No  13.  p.  607. 


KLEF-no    SONGS.  349 

hero.  "Wherefore  do  the  mountains  grow  black,  and  tlio 
meadows  wither  away?"  exclaims  the  bard  as  he  commences 
his  narration.  Or  else  a  bird  may  be  represented  as  singing, 
from  the  wall  of  some  adjoining  fortress,  the  funeral  dirge  of 
the  klefis.  Often,  as  in  the  following  piece,  the  auditor  is  sup- 
posed to  break  forth  in  an  inquiry  as  to  the  cause  of  the  fear- 
ful sound  that  is  heard  afar ;  in  answering  which  the  poet 
-gives  an  account  of  the  battle,  where  the  CTreeks  are  fight- 
ing against  fearful  odds.  It  is  worthy  of  special  note  that 
many  such  phrases  are  conventional  expressions,  appearing 
in  numerous  songs,  and  designed  to  call  the  hearer's  atten- 
tion, and  lead,  in  a  natui'al  manner,  to  the  subject  of  the 
ballad. 

'"What  can  be  the  soxmd  that  is  heard,  and  the  great  tumult! 
Are  not  bullocks  being  slain,  or  is  it  beasts  that  roar?' 
'Neither  are  bullocks  being  slain,  nor  is  it  beasts  that  roar: 
Boucovallas  is  engaged  in  fight  with  fifteen  hundred  men, 
In  the  midst  of  Kerasobos,  and  in  Ka;nouria. 
The  balls  fall  like  rain ;  they  fall  like  hail.' 
And  a  fair  maiden  cried  from  out  the  window : 
'  Cease,  John,  from  battle,  cause  the  firing  to  stop, 
That  the  dust  may  settle,  that  it  may  be  clear. 
That  thy  band  may  be  numbered,  to  see  how  many  are  lackinsc-' 
The  Turks  are  numbered  thrice,  and  there  lack  five  hundred ; 
The  k-/i'/t  boys  are  numbered,  and  three  braves  are  missing. 
One  went  for  water,  and  another  to  bring  bread ; 
The  third  and  best  stands  at  his  gun."* 

The  fact  that  these  kleftic  songs  are  not  confined  to  one 
locality,  but  disseminated  far  from  the  mountainous  districts 
that  gave  them  birth,  is  due  to  the  ^'' panegyris,'''  public  festi- 
vals and  fairs,  at  which  great  multitudes  from  the  surround- 
ing country  gather,  not  only  for  purposes  of  trade,  but  also  for 
recreation.  Dances  abound  on  these  occasions ;  and  crowds 
gather  around  the  blind  musicians,  who  sing  the  ballads  they 
haA'e  composed  themselves,  or  learned  from  others.  These  per- 
ambulating musicians  perform  the  part  of  the  ancient  rhapso- 
dists,  and,  being  possessed  of  extraordinary  memories,  the  num- 
ber of  pieces  which  they  can  recite  and  sing  is  quite  remark- 
able.    For  each  of  these  poems  they  compose  a  new  tune ; 

*  Song  of  John  Boucovallas,  in  the  collection  of  Zambelius,  No.  39, 
p.  629. 


350  BALLAD    POETRY. 

and  when  it  meets  with  a  good  reception,  they  are  well  re- 
wanled  for  their  pains.  It  is  said  that  a  minstrel,  who  was 
likewise  jjossessed  of  considerable  talent  as  an  improvisatore, 
was  in  a  few  years  enabled  to  lay  by  so  large  a  sum  as  to  set- 
tle down  at  his  ease  at  Ampelakia,  in  Thessaly.  The  only 
accompaniment  to  the  voice  is  a  sort  of  lyre,  with  but  two 
or  three  strings. 

The  day  of  the  true  klefts  has  probably  passed  away  for- 
ever. In  the  Kevolution  they  contributed  not  a  little  to  the 
deliverance  of  their  country.  Those  who  had  been  the  leaders 
of  a  few  desperadoes,  became  the  captains  of  large  detach- 
ments of  troops  capable  of  meeting  and  repulsing  the  Turkish 
armies.  Being  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  country,  and 
inured  from  long  experience  to  all  the  labors  and  difficulties 
of  a  guerrilla  warfare,  they  were  formidable  opponents  on  a 
soil  so  mountainous  as  that  of  Greece.  Since  the  Revolution, 
many  of  the  more  distinguished  chiefs  have  risen  to  honora- 
ble posts  under  the  government,  while  the  rest  have  resumed 
more  peaceable  occupations.  As  the  exploits  of  the  klefts 
have  now  ceased,  it  must  necessarily  follow  that  this  branch 
of  the  popular  literature,  which  has  been  devoted  to  them, 
will  become  extinct,  or  undergo  at  least  very  essential  modi- 
fications. Even  now,  among  the  collections  of  kleftic  poems, 
there  are  to  be  found  many  that  relate  properly  to  revolu- 
tionary heroes,  though  framed  upon  the  model  of  the  more 
ancient  class  of  ballads. 

Turning  to  the  peaceful  plains  and  villages,  we  find  in  their 
songs  a  perceptible  resemblance  to  those  of  former  times. 
Athena3us  and  other  ancient  authors  tell  us  that  the  return 
of  the  swallow  was  hailed  by  the  Greeks  as  the  harbinger  of 
spring.  Special  hymns  were  composed  in  its  honor ;  and 
those  who  sang  them  claimed  a  slight  present  from  their  au- 
ditors. A  similar  practice  still  obtains.  On  the  first  day  of 
March,  troops  of  children  may  be  seen  tripping  forth  from  the 
village  school-house  in  holiday  attire,  and  carrying  a  branch 
or  rod,  on  which  a  rough  wooden  figure  of  a  swallow  is 
perched.  At  every  door  the  juvenile  procession  stops,  to  sing 
a  welcome  to  the  swallow,  whose  coming  they  represent  as 
introducing  joy  into  the  household,  and  hastening  the  festiv- 


.SONGS    OK    SPECIAI.    OCCASIONS.  351 

ities  of  Easter.  From  the  praises  of  the  swallow,  they  next 
turn  to  beg  a  present  of  money  or  eggs,  some  for  themselves, 
and  the  greater  part  for  their  master.* 

On  St.  Basil's  day,  the  first  of  the  new  year,  similar  parties 
of  children  wander  from  house  to  house.  On  this  occasion 
their  songs  are  not  unlike  those  of  the  first  of  March.  They 
consist  chietly  of  addresses  to  the  family,  each  one  of  whom 
receives  the  honor  of  a  separate  song ;  and  they  conclude  with 
an  ode  to  St.  Basil.  In  lyric  pieces  of  this  description  but 
slight  literary  merit  may  be  expected.  Naturalness  and  a 
striking  similarity  to  the  popular  songs  of  the  ancients,  as  far 
as  they  have  come  down  to  us,  are  often  combined  with  great 
homeliness  of  diction. 

How  much  poetry  connects  itself  with  the  most  ordinaiy 
occuiTences  of  life,  is  evident  from  the  multitude  of  poems 
framed  for  such  occasions.  When,  for  instance,  a  peasant  in- 
tends to  leave  his  native  place,  whether  his  departure  be  final, 
or  merely  for  a  time,  he  invites  his  friends  to  partake  with  him 
of  a  farewell  meal.  During  the  feast,  or  at  its  conclusion,  his 
departure  is  made  the  burden  of  song;  some  of  the  guests 
describing  in  general  terms  the  bitterness  of  separation,  while 
others  enter  with  minuteness  into  the  circumstances  of  the 
present  case.  These  regrets  are  generally  thrown  into  poetic 
shape  on  the  spur  of  the  occasion.  Other  farewell  songs  are 
recited  in  mournful  tones,  as  the  traveler  is  accompanied  by 
his  friends  and  neighbors  to  the  limits  of  the  town. 

The  nuptial  customs,  so  complicated  and  yet  so  picturesque, 
differing  in  every  district,  yet  invariable  there,  furnish  a  copi- 
ous subject  for  the  rustic  muse.  There  are  verses  for  the 
maidens  to  sing  when  they  sit  grinding  the  flour  for  the  wed- 
ding-cakes ;  others  when  they  sift  it ;  and  still  others  when 
they  knead  and  bake.  Snatches  of  poetry  are  sung  by  the 
youths  as  they  help  to  attii-e  the  groom,  and  by  the  maidens 

*  A  specimen  of  these  modern  songs  may  be  compared  with  one  of 
the  ancient  ones  still  extant ;  both  are  contained  in  a  pamphlet  entitled 
"A  Refutation  of  those  that  have  thought,  written,  and  publislied,  that 
none  of  those  who  now  inhabit  Greece  are  descended  from  the  ancient 
Greeks,  by  Anastasius  G.  Leucias."  Athens,  1843.  (In  Latin  and 
Greek,  p.  110.) 


352  BALLAD    POETRY. 

that  wait  on  the  bride.  Every  part  of  the  marriage  ceremony 
is  thus  viewed  in  a  poetic  light,! 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more  curious  class  of  lyric 
poems  than  the  marologia,  or  laments  sung  over  the  corpses 
of  the  dead.  Unlike  the  verses  repeated  at  nuptial  festivities, 
which  are  nearly  always  of  a  stereotype  form,  the  mcerologia  are 
the  spontaneous  pi'oduct  of  the  imagination  in  each  particular 
case.  The  name  seems  to  mean  a  lament  over  the  fate  of  an 
individual.  When  the  body  of  the  deceased  has  been  decently 
laid  out  upon  a  bed,  ready  to  be  carried  to  its  last  resting- 
place,  the  relatives  and  friends  assemble  round  the  lifeless 
remains,  to  take  a  last  farewell  of  what  they  lately  held  so 
dear.  Now  they  pour  out  their  vain  regrets.  But  the  mcero- 
logia  are  not  mere  expressions  of  feeling ;  they  are  chiefly 
made  up  of  a  history  of  the  departed.  If  it  be  a  woman,  the 
survivors  relate  her  fortunes,  and  dwell  upon  her  beauty,  her 
virtues,  or  her  wealth.  If  a  man,  they  celebrate  his  sti'ength 
and  courage,  and  the  stratagems  or  treachery  of  his  enemy. 
The  wife  not  uufrequently  reverts  to  the  time  of  her  betrothal, 
and  tells  the  story  of  her  married  life.  In  one,  when  a  hus- 
band had  been  basely  murdered  by  those  whom  he  had  enter- 
tained under  his  own  roof,  the  indignant  widow  exclaims : 
"  Fire  and  poison  may  that  bread  and  wine  become  which 
they  ate  and  drank ;  for  instead  of  bread  they  gave  him  a 
ball,  and  the  wine  became  like  powder." 

In  this  recital,  the  faults  of  the  dead  are  not  unfrequently 
set  forth  as  prominently  as  his  excellences.  The  speakers 
are  mostly  of  the  female  sex,  while  the  men  are  passive  spec- 
tators. Some  women  have  enjoyed  a  great  reputation  for 
their  wonderful  facility  in  this  soi't  of  improvising.  The 
heartless  practice  of  hiring  mourners  is,  however,  I  believe, 
confined  to  Asiatic  Greece.  Yet  it  is  no  uncommon  occur- 
rence for  a  perfect  stranger  to  step  into  the  sad  circle  of 
friends,  and,  addressing  the  corpse  as  if  he  could  hear,  beg 
him  to  carry  some  message  to  departed  friends.  The  tidings 
thus  intrusted  to  the  soul,  which,  it  is  imagined,  has  not  yet 

*  In  a  pamphlet  giving  an  account  of  the  forms  accompanying  the 
marriage  rite,  I  find  no  less  than  twenty-six  pieces  of  poetry,  to  be  re- 
peated at  as  many  different  stages  of  the  ceremony. 


PREVALENT    SUPERSTITIONS.  oOO 

commenced  its  journey  to  the  nether  world,  relate  to  tho?e 
matters  which  here  interested  it  most — to  family  events,  or  to 
the  success  or  reverses  of  domestic  feuds.  So  important  has 
the  recital  of  the  marologia  come  to  be  regarded,  that  in  some 
places,  when  a  person  has  died  in  a  foreign  land,  these  songs 
are  addressed  to  a  figure  that  personates  him.  extended  on  a 
funeral  bed. 

Of  a  character  entirely  different  are  the  religious  poems,  in 
which  the  most  striking  historical  passages  of  Holy  "Writ  are 
represented  in  dramatic  form.  The  "  Mirror  for  Women"  is  a 
thick  volume  containing  a  large  number  of  these  pieces,  where- 
in various  Scriptural  characters  are  held  up  as  models  for  im- 
itation, or  as  warnings  to  the  female  sex.  More  celebrated 
than  any  of  these  is  the  '"  Sacrifice  of  Abraham" — a  drama, 
as  has  been  truly  remarked,  "  full  of  touches  of  most  natural 
pathos."  The  style  is  easy,  and  the  language  makes  no  pre- 
tension to  classic  elegance.  It  is,  indeed,  just  such  a  compo- 
sition as  the  most  illiterate  can  read  with  entertainment  and 
profit.  Although  written  no  later,  certainly,  than  the  last 
century,  it  has  retained  its  hold  on  the  people,  and  has  been 
reprinted  within  a  few  years. 

In  this  brief  description  of  some  of  the  kinds  of  popular 
poetry,  allusion  has  been  made  to  prevalent  superstitions 
whose  existence  they  indicate.  There  are  others  equally  cu- 
rious. Charon  no  longer  appears  as  the  ancient  ferr}-man  of 
the  Styx;  but  has  usurped  the  place  of  Mercury,  and  figures 
as  conductor  of  the  dead.  Eveiy  object,  both  animate  and  in- 
animate, is  supposed  to  be  guarded  by  a  spirit.  The  plague  is 
personified  as  a  blind  old  woman,  groping  along  the  sides  of 
walls.  The  small-pox,  that  fearful  curse  of  the  poor  man's 
hovel,  is  represented  as  a  fur}' :  but  the  same  fear  that  led  the 
ancients  to  forbear  uttering  words  of  ill  omen,  lest  they  should 
provoke  the  ire  of  evil  spirits,  induces  the  modem  peasant  to 
call  her  "  eulogia" — the  blessing. 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that,  while  the  attention  of  the 
modem  Greeks  has  naturally  been  bestowed  mainly  on  those 
treasures  of  ancient  lore  which  constitute  their  lawful  patri- 
mony, it  has  not  been  altogether  ^^•ithdrawn  from  their  own 
popular  ballads,  in  which  so  much  of  recent  history,  and  of 


004  BALLAD    POETRY. 

customs  that  are  fast  becoming  extinct,  is  recorded.  ]Mr. 
Fauriel's  work,  in  the  French  language,  was  the  first  to 
awaken  general  interest  on  the  subject.  His  preliminary  re- 
marks upon  the  habits  of  the  Lie/Is,  and  the  nature  of  the  bal- 
lads relating  to  their  exploits,  are  as  yet  unsurpassed.  Since 
then  there  have  been  published  numerous  collections,  and  now 
not  a  year  passes  without  fresh  additions  to  this  interesting 
department  of  literature.* 

*  Four  collections  of  ballads  are  before  me,  published  in  Athens  alone, 
between  1835  and  1848 ;  and  there  are  doubtless  many  more.  A  young 
writer,  Mr.  Lelekos,  commenced  in  1852  a  serial  containing  a  consider- 
able number  of  interesting  pieces  connected  with  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  people.  More  recently,  a  native  of  Laconia,  in  a  pamphlet 
of  40  pages,  published  a  metrical  description  of  his  country  written  at 
the  close  of  the  18th  century,  and  ten  interesting  intn-ologia,  a  species  of 
poetry  which,  from  its  ephemeral  character,  has  until  now  seldom  found 
its  way  into  print.  Perhaps  the  best  collection  of  kleftic  songs  is  to  be 
found  in  the  "Demotic  Songs"  of  S.  Zampelios  of  Corfu,  who  has  pre- 
fixed six  hundred  pages  of  learned  disquisition  on  the  state  of  the  Greek 
race  in  the  Middle  Ages. 


^^S^^^-xl-^ 


HOUSE   OF  JOHAS  KtNG,    D.O. 


CHARTER  XXIV. 


THE  TRIAL  OF  DR.  KING. 

Friday,  the  5th  of  March  (New  Style)  1852,  was  the  day 
set  for  the  trial  of  Dr.  King,  before  the  Criminal  Court  of 
Athens,  on  the  charge  of  reviling  the  Greek  Church.  The 
incessant  clamors  of  the  newspaper  -i-Eon,  the  organ  of  the 
Russian  party,  had  finally  induced  the  king's  attorney  to  insti- 
tute a  prosecution  against  the  foreign  missionary :  and  the  op- 
ponents of  religious  liberty  already  exulted  in  view  of  their 
approaching  triumph.  On  the  preceding  day,  a  friend  of  Dr. 
King  had  brought  to  him  a  small  printed  hand-bill,  which,  he 
said,  Avas  being  industriously  circulated  through  the  city,  and 
posted  along  the  streets,  with  the  evident  purpose  of  inciting 
ihe  people  to  acts  of  violence  toward  Dr.  King.  It  read  as 
follows : 

"  To-morrow,  Friday,  the  22d  of  February  (Old  Style),  the 
famous  false  apostle,  Jonas  King,  will  at  last  be  tried  before 


356  TRIAL    OF    DR.    KING. 

the  Criminal  Court  of  Athens.  Accordingly,  as  many  Christ- 
•loving  people  as  desire  to  be  present  at  this  curious  trial  may 
attend  the  said  court  at  ten  o'clock  A.]\I.,  and  hear  the  false 
apostle  convicted  of  the  foolish  babblings  he  has  uttered  against 
the  Mother  of  God,  the  Saints,  the  Images,  and,  in  a  word, 
all  the  Sacraments,  Doctrines,  and  Traditions  of  our  Holy 
Church." 

In  consequence  of  this  notice,  a  demand  was  made  of  the 
police  for  additional  protection  on  the  day  of  the  trial.  The 
first  token  of  the  requisition  was  the  appearance  of  a  detach- 
ment of  four  police-officers  at  the  gate  of  the  Consulate  early 
on  Friday  morning.  They  had  come  to  attend  and  protect  Dr. 
King  on  his  way  to  the  court-room.  After  a  short  season  of 
prayer  with  his  family,  he  expressed  his  readiness  to  go.  I 
walked  with  him,  while  his  young  son  followed,  under  the 
care  of  the  faithful  man-servant,  old  Barba  Constantinos. 
Two  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  of  Athens  had  been  re- 
tained as  counsel.  We  took  the  house  of  one  of  them  on  our 
way.  ]Mr.  Pelicas  was  waiting  to  escort  us.  He  was  a  small 
man,  with  fine  features  and  an  intellectual  countenance,  es- 
teemed to  be  one  of  the  most  upright  members  of  the  Athenian 
bar,  and  at  this  time  professor  of  law,  and  Prytanis  (or  Presi- 
dent) of  the  University  of  Otho. 

The  king's  attorney  had  proposed  to  Mr.  Pelicas  that  Dr. 
King  should  wait  at  his  house  until  sent  for ;  but  the  mis- 
sionary determined  to  be  present,  at  all  events,  at  the  appoint- 
ed time.  The  Criminal  Court  held  its  sessions  in  an  old 
building  at  the  corner  of  Athena  Street  and  a  small  lane. 
The  lane,  from  which  access  was  gained  by  a  broad  flight  of 
steps  to  the  court-room,  was  already  crowded  with  old  and 
young ;  but  no  disturbance  occurred  on  our  arrival.  The 
chief  of  police,  who  was  rather  friendly  to  Dr.  King,  had  de- 
tached a  number  of  policemen,  armed  with  musket  and  bay- 
onet ;  and  presently  that  individual  came  in  person.  The 
more  fanatical  part  of  the  assemblage  had  already  found  their 
way  into  the  court-room,  and  were  impatiently  awaiting  the 
])rocess.  The  space  allotted  to  the  audience  was  crowded  to 
its  utmost  capacity,  and  here  and  there  appeared  the  black 
coat  and  cap  of  a  priest. 


THE   COURT-ROOM.  357 

By  the  courtesy  of  some  officials,  I  Avas  permitted  to  take 
a  seat  witliin  the  bar,  in  a  position  whence  I  could  see  and 
hear  every  thing  that  was  said  and  done.  It  was  a  curious 
spectacle,  that  array  of  animated  faces  that  crowded  the 
farther  end  of  the  room,  all  intent  on  hearing  the  trial  of  one 
of  the  most  interesting  and  important  cases  that  had  ever 
come  up  for  decision  before  a  Grecian  tribunal. 

The  judges  chosen  to  try  the  accused  appeared  very  punc- 
tually, entering  the  court-room  from  a  small  chamber  in  the 
rear.  As  the  accusation  related  not  to  a  crime,  but  to  an  of- 
fence of  secondary  grade,  the  legislation  of  Greece,  in  imita- 
tion of  the  French  practice,  makes  the  bench  sole  judges  both 
of  the  law  and  of  the  fact.  Trial  by  jury  is  only  resorted  to 
in  cases  of  murder,  treason,  and  other  felonious  deeds.  The 
five  judges,  Messrs  Nicolopoulus,  l*apaspirides,  Kallisperes, 
Boniseres,  and  Qiconomides,  took  their  seats  on  a  platform 
facing  the  audience :  the  first-named,  as  president,  occupying 
the  middle  seat.  At  opposite  ends  of  the  table  before  them, 
and  on  the  same  platform,  sat  Mr.  Typjildus,  the  attorney 
general,  and  Mr.  jNIatakides,  the  clerk. 

The  first  duty  of  the  clerk  was  to  call  over  the  names  of 
the  witnesses.  The  prosecution  had  cited  twelve  witnesses,  of 
whom  nine  answered  to  their  names ;  and  the  defence  twen- 
ty-one, out  of  whom  only  ten  ventured  to  appear — a  striking 
disparity,  which  tended  to  show  how  strong  was  the  fear  of 
popular  or  priestly  violence  entertained  by  those  who  should 
have  borne  testimony  to  the  good  character  of  the  defendant. 
Dr.  King  perceived  that  there  was  no  ground  for  expecting 
any  more  favorable  occasion,  and  readily  consented  to  the 
proposal  of  the  attorney  general,  that  both  sides  should  mutu- 
ally abandon  the  absentees.     The  trial  accordingly  proceeded. 

I  have  stated  that  the  accusation  against  Dr.  King  was 
that  he  had,  in  public  discourse,  during  the  years  1850  and 
1851,  reviled  the  Greek  religion.  To  this  was  originally 
added  the  utterly  gratuitous  accusation  of  reviling  religion  in 
general.  But  the  Areopagus,  on  appeal,  had  judged  the  lat- 
ter imputation  too  ridiculous  to  be  sustained,  and  had  ordered 
its  erasure.  It  was,  therefore,  to  prove  the  former  part  of  the 
indictment  alone  that  the  witnesses  were  summoned. 


358  TRIAL    OF    DR.   KING. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  describe,  or  even  enumerate,  the  va- 
rious witnesses,  as  they  were  successively  brought  up  to  the 
open  space  in  front  of  the  president,  and  sworn.  They  mere- 
ly repeated  what  they  had  previously  testified  in  the  secret 
inquest,  which  always  precedes  the  finding  of  a  bill  of  indict- 
ment. In  the  main,  the  testimony  seemed  to  be  true ;  but  a 
Protestant  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  imagine  in  what 
respect  the  language  attributed  to  Dr.  King  was  objectiona- 
ble, or  tended  in  the  least  to  constitute  a  reviling  of  the  Greek 
Church  :  unless,  indeed,  it  be  reviling  to  state  personal  opin- 
ions when  they  happen  to  be  diametrically  opposed  to  those 
of  an  auditor.  In  short,  the  testimony  proved  only  that  Dr. 
King  held  the  doctrines  generally  received  by  the  religious 
communion  to  which  he  belonged  in  America. 

The  witnesses  were  nearly  all  young  men.  Some  were 
students  in  the  medical  school,  and  others  candidates  for  the 
priesthood.  Besides  the  usual  animation  that  characterizes 
the  Greek,  they  seemed  moved  by  strong  partisan  feeling.  I 
remember,  in  particular,  a  youth  called  Kyriakoules,  whose 
expressions  of  enmity  against  the  defendant  were  so  strong, 
that  the  presiding  judge  himself  was  obliged  to  interrupt  him, 
and  exclaim,  "You  are  here  as  a  witness,  not  as  an  accuser!" 
He  held  in  his  hand  a  paper,  from  which  he  attempted  sev- 
eral times  to  read  extracts ;  but  desisted  on  being  told  that 
his  business  was  merely  to  answer  the  questions  put  to  him. 
Persons  who  stood  near  him  when  he  was  not  testifying  have 
assured  me  that  he  was  armed  with  a  dagger,  and  that  he  in- 
cited the  boys  around  him  to  hoot  when  any  thing  favorable 
to  Dr.  King  was  elicited. 

A  lawyer  would  have  noticed  one  striking  peculiax'ity  in 
the  testimony,  as  well  as  in  the  indictment.  Although  sev- 
eral of  the  witnesses  pretended  to  have  heard  Dr.  King  use 
language  disrespectful  to  the  Greek  religion,  they  never  men- 
tioned the  exact  words,  nor  specified  the  time  or  occasion  of 
their  utterance.  Hence  the  defence  was  utterly  unable  to 
bring  proof  that  such  language  had  never  been  made  use  of, 
since  no  witness  could  depose  any  thing  more  than  that  no 
abuse  had  been  indulged  in  upon  the  occasions  when  he  was 
])resent.     No  testimony,  however,  was  more  flagrantly  unfair 


SPEECH    OF   THE    IUNg'S    ATTOltNEY.  359 

than  that  of  a  half-crazed  old  man,  who  was  permitted  to 
give  in  his  evidence  against  Dr.  King,  although,  by  his  own 
confession,  he  had  not  entered  the  missionary's  house  for  seven 
years.  Yet  the  term  stated  in  the  indictment  embraced  only 
the  years  1850  and  1851 ! 

In  the  examination  of  the  witnesses,  the  president  of  the 
court  displayed  the  most  obvious  prepossession  in  favor  of  the 
testimony  adverse  to  Dr.  King,  and  of  those  who  so  testified, 
whether  their  evidence  was  pertinent  or  not.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  seemed  determined  to  browbeat  the  numerous  and 
respectable  witnesses  for  the  defence — a  course  which,  com- 
bined with  the  tumultuous  applause,  or  the  equally  pro- 
nounced disapproval  of  the  audience,  to  a  great  extent  en- 
couraged by  the  supineness  of  the  court,  disturbed  not  a  little 
the  self-possession  of  the  witnesses.  The  presiding  judge  even 
went  so  far  as  to  reprimand  one  of  the  criers  of  the  court  for 
ordering  some  noisy  priests  to  be  silent,  and  deprived  him  for 
that  day  of  the  badge  of  office. 

The  king's  attorney  now  rose,  and  argued  the  case  for  an 
hour  and  a  half,  or  two  hours.  In  order  to  prove  that  the 
accused  was  guilty  of  reviling  the  Greek  religion  during  the 
two  years  mentioned  in  the  indictment,  he  brought  forward 
some  books  written  by  Dr.  King,  and  showed  what  his  creed 
was.  One  of  these,  entitled  "A  Defence,"  was  published 
many  years  smce ;  and  the  other,  "  An  Exposition  of  an  Apos- 
tolic Church,"  was  published  in  the  United  States.  He  did 
not  attempt  to  prove  that  these  pamphlets  were  written 
by  Dr.  King;  but  taking  this  for  granted,  he  inferred,  from 
passages  which  the  court  permitted  him  to  read,  that  Dr. 
King  believed,  and  therefore  taught,  doctrines  at  variance 
with  the  standards  of  the  Orthodox  Church.  And  this,  he 
maintained,  constituted  the  crime  of  reviling  the  Greek  relig- 
ion, as  contemplated  in  the  law. 

At  the  end  of  the  lengthy  theological  discourse  of  the  king's 
attorney,  Mr.  Triantaphyllos,  one  of  Dr.  King's  lawyers,  be- 
gan by  alluding  to  the  contrast  presented  by  the  scene  now 
witnessed  with  that  beheld  twenty-three  years  before,  when 
his  client  had  come,  intrusted  by  the  liberality  of  the  Ameri- 
can people,  with  provisions  to  feed  the  famishing  Greeks.     He 


360  TRIAL    OF    DR.   KING. 

then  proceeded  to  answer  the  arguments  of  the  king's  attorney  ; 
and  said  that  that  officer  had  wrongly  sought  to  introduce  a 
religious  discussion.  (Here  he  was  interrupted  by  the  court, 
and  told  to  abstain  from  such  language — as  if  the  king's  at- 
torney were  a  privileged  character.)  If  such  a  discussion  were 
to  come  off,  Dr.  King  should  have  employed  Protestant  coun- 
sel to  defend  his  religious  tenets.  In  conclusion,  he  urged 
that,  by  the  constitution  and  laws  of  Greece,  religious  tolera- 
tion and  the  right  of  discussion  were  guaranteed. 

Mr.  Pelicas  followed,  with  a  clear  and  logical  speech,  in 
which  he  exhibited  the  inapplicability  of  the  law  to  the  case 
of  Dr.  King.  The  mere  expression  of  opinions  adverse  to 
those  of  the  Greek  Church  could  not  fairly  be  construed  as  a 
reviling  of,  or  even  an  indication  of  malevolence  toward,  that 
Church  ;  much  less  as  an  insult  to  religion  in  general — an  ac- 
cusation which  the  king's  attorney  had  sought  illegally  to  re- 
introduce into  the  indictment,  and  for  which  not  a  particle  of 
evidence  had  been  shown. 

When  the  king's  attorney  had  made  a  brief  rejoinder.  Dr. 
King  arose,  holding  some  documents  in  his  hands,  and  wished 
to  say  a  few  words  in  his  own  defence.  The  papers  contained 
proof  that  the  prosecution  was  of  the  nature  of  a  conspiracy 
against  him,  and  that  some  of  the  witnesses  were  principals 
in  the  plot.  The  judges  had  already  risen,  and  Avere  about  to 
retire.  Mr.  Nicolopoulus  said  that  opportunity  had  already 
been  given  to  the  defendant  to  speak ;  but  that  he  might,  if 
he  chose,  hand  in  the  documents  that  he  held,  and  the  court 
would  take  them  into  consideration.  Dr.  King  stated  some 
facts  in  explanation  of  their  contents ;  and  then,  seeing  the 
uselessness  of  attempting  to  convince  an  impatient  court, 
handed  the  papers  to  the  president,  and  sat  down.  The 
judges,  most  of  whom  had  remained  standing,  immediately 
left  the  room,  to  confer  as  to  their  verdict. 

About  half  an  hour  elapsed  before  the  door  opened,  and  the 
judges  resumed  their  seats.  Mr.  Nicolopoulus  proceeded  to 
pronounce  a  decision,  which  was  afterward  reduced  to  writ- 
ing, with  considerable  alterations.  In  the  court-room,  it  Avas 
stated  that  the  accused  was  found  guilty  of  reviling  the  Greek 
Church  :   in  the  recorded  verdict,  that  his  offence  was  the 


SENTENCE    PRONOUNCED.  361 

less  heinous  one  of  using  malevolent  expressions  against  it. 
Only  two  such  expressions  are  singled  out  from  all  the  mass 
of  testimony,  and  from  the  articles  of  the  indictment,  as  the 
ground  of  the  finding  of  the  court.  This  is  what  the  court 
says :  "  The  calling  the  Mother  of  God  simply  a  woman, 
and  affirming  that  she  bare  also  other  children,  and  saying 
that  the  Communion,  that  is,  the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  is  bread  and  wine,  are  incontestably  malevolent 
expressions." 

The  defendant  being  thus  found  guilty,  the  king's  attorney 
moved  that  he  be  sentenced  to  three  months'  imprisonment, 
according  to  the  law  in  this  case  provided ;  and  that,  on  the 
expiration  of  that  term,  he  be  banished  from  the  country,  in 
accordance  with  another  article,  as  a  person  convicted  of  a 
crime,  and  "  pre-eminently  dangerous  to  the  common  safety 
and  to  morals,  by  his  manner  of  life,  character,  and  conduct." 
The  defendant's  counsel  opposed  the  motion,  averring  that  the 
latter  portion  of  the  penalty  was  utterly  unsuitable,  since  there 
was  nothing  in  Ihe  history  of  the  defendant  that  rendered  him 
obnoxious  to  any  of  these  charges. 

The  court  now  retired  a  second  time,  and  shortly  returned. 
They  sentenced  "  the  said  Jonas  King,  convicted  as  aforesaid, 
to  fifteen  days'  imprisonment,  to  the  costs  of  the  trial,  and  the 
duty  on  the  stamps,  to  be  collected  by  the  committal  of  his 
person,"  and  ordered  "  his  exile  from  the  territory  of  Greece, 
after  the  execution  of  the  sentence  of  imprisonment;"* 

Thus  was  concluded  this  judicial  farce.  The  judges,  who 
had  come  instructed  to  convict  Dr.  King,  withdrew,  and  the 
audience,  who  had  come  to  see  him  convicted,  after  expressing 
their  joy  by  prolonged  applause,  hastened  down  to  the  street 
to  see  the  missionary  carried  away  to  prison.  The  king's  at- 
torney, however,  who,  as  it  subsequently  appeared,  was  in  no 

*  One  of  the  judges  that  sat  on  this  trial,  with  whom  I  had  some 
slight  acquaintance,  was  in  the  habit  of  saying  that  he  wholly  disaj)- 
proved  of  the  verdict  and  sentence,  and  that  he  had  voted  against  their 
adoption  in  the  private  deliberations  of  the  court.  Since,  however,  he 
manifested  no  disapprobation  of  the  extraordinarj-  conduct  of  the  pre- 
siding judge,  and  did  not  exercise  his  right  of  withholding  his  signa- 
ture from  the  record,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  how  much  credit  is  due  to 
the  assertion. 

Q 


362  TRIAL    OF    DR.    KING. 

liuriy  to  incarcerate  Dr.  King,  at  once  acceded  to  the  request 
of  his  lawyers,  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  return  to  his 
liouse,  in  order  to  make  preparations  for  his  imprisonment  and 
exile.  A  large  mob  had  meanwhile  collected  around  the  build- 
ing. Tlie  friendly  officer,  to  whose  interest  in  Dr.  King  the 
detachment  of  so  many  policemen  had  been  due,  begged  us  to 
tarry  until  the  tumultuous  crowd  dispersed,  lest  it  should  un- 
dertake to  commit  some  violence.  Accordingly,  we  remained 
a  while  in  the  deserted  court-room ;  but  the  people  below 
showed  no  sign  of  retiring.  Finally,  it  was  thought  best  to 
lead  Dr.  King  by  a  private  passage,  and  through  an  unoccupied 
shop,  to  the  front  of  the  building,  on  Athena  Street,  where  a 
carriage  Avas  in  waiting.  The  officer  entered  it  with  us ;  a 
couple  of  armed  policemen  mounted  the  carriage — one  taking 
his  seat  on  the  box,  and  the  other  standing  up  behind.  The 
fanatical  mob  that  lingered  about  the  entrance  on  the  lane, 
seeing  themselves  thus  outwitted,  ran  toward  the  carriage 
with  loud  yells,  but  were  driven  back  at  the  point  of  the  bay- 
onet by  some  soldiers  stationed  in  the  vicinity. 

Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday  passed,  but  no  order  was 
sent  for  Dr.  King's  arrest.  The  design  of  the  king's  attorney 
then  became  evident.  No  one  can  appeal  from  the  decision 
of  the  Criminal  Court  unless  his  exceptions  are  filed  within 
five  days  after  the  rendering  of  the  verdict,  and  unless  the 
prisoner  is  undergoing  the  infliction  of  his  sentence.  It  was 
the  policy  of  the  State  to  defer  Dr.  King's  imprisonment  until 
the  expiration  of  these  five  days,  in  order  to  preclude  an  ap- 
peal. Had  he  allowed  himself  to  be  thus  beguiled,  his  negli- 
gence would  have  furnished  a  specious  pretext  for  refusing  re- 
dress. Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  missionary  was  thus  com- 
pelled to  demand  the  partial  execution  of  his  own  sentence. 
After  a  confinement  of  a  few  hours  in  the  loathsome  Medrese, 
of  which  I  have  elsewhere  spoken,  he  was  taken  to  the  police- 
office,  where  he  underwent  imprisonment  until  he  fell  sick  and 
was  carried  home.  The  expulsion  of  Dr.  King  being  the  real 
object  of  the  prosecution,  nobody  cared  for  his  incarceration, 
and  nothing  would  have  been  more  pleasant  to  the  govern- 
ment than  to  hear  that  he  had  escaped  of  his  own  accord. 

Seventeen  days  elapsed  before  the  appeal  came  up  for  dis- 


OPINIONS    OF    THE    PRESS.  363 

cussion  in  the  Ai'eopagus,  the  Supreme  Court  of  Greece. 
Tliat  tribur^al  can  only  review  the  points  of  law  contained  in 
the  record ;  and  it  was  on  these  that  exceptions  were  taken. 
The  highest  court  was  called  on  to  pronounce  whether  the 
mere  statement  of  opinions  at  variance  with  the  doctrines  of 
the  Greek  Church  constituted  a  malevolent  expression  against 
that  Church,  and  whether  such  an  oiFence  rendered  a  man  dan- 
gerous to  the  common  safety  and  to  morals.  The  Areopagus, 
in  manifest  violation  of  common  sense  and  equity,  replied  that 
the  Criminal  Court  was  competent  to  decide  as  to  what  were 
malevolent  expressions,  and  what  rendered  a  man  dangerous 
to  society.  At  the  same  time,  it  reversed  all  that  part  of  the 
verdict  which  found  Dr.  King  guilty  of  reviling  religion  in  gen- 
eral. It  is  difficult  to  perceive  where  the  court  drew  the  line 
of  demarcation  between  its  own  jurisdiction  and  that  of  the 
Criminal  Court.  Instead  of  ordering  a  new  trial,  the  Areopa- 
gus affirmed  the  sentence  of  the  lower  court,  with  the  trivial 
alteration  of  the  term  of  confinement  from  fifteen  to  fourteen 
days. 

Dr.  King  Avas  now  at  the  mercy  of  the  government.  As  a 
last  resource,  he  drew  up,  in  his  character  of  Consular  Agent 
of  the  United  States,  a  protest  "  against  the  unjust  decisions  of 
the  Criminal  Court  of  Athens  and  of  the  Areopagus,  and 
against  any  execution  Avhatever  of  them."  This  he  forward- 
ed at  once  to  IMr.  Paicos,  IVIinister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  It  was 
probably  this  movement  that  arrested  the  hands  of  the  Greek 
go\ei"nment.  The  possible  interest  of  the  American  nation 
in  the  sufferings  of  its  distant  citizen  had  never  entered  the 
heads  of  those  who  were  so  eager  to  drive  the  missionary  away. 
But  whatever  may  have  been  the  cause,  Dr.  King  was  allowed 
to  remain  unmolested  in  his  own  house  until  the  arrival  of  the 
American  vessels  of  war. 

Meanwhile  the  public  press  of  Athens  Avas  loud  in  its  con- 
demnation of  the  Avhole  of  this  fanatical  affair  :  stigmatizing  it 
as  unjust  and  ill-timed ;  as  a  violation  of  the  sacred  right  of 
religious  liberty  guaranteed  by  the  Constitution  and  the  laAA's 
of  the  realm.  "The  introduction  of  this  case  into  court,"  said 
one  paper,  "  was,  in  our  opinion,  a  foolish  measure,  for  relig- 
ious discussions  can  not  be  earned  on  in  a  tribunal  of  justice. 


864  TRIAL    OF    DR.   KING. 

But  when  the  matter  is  considered  in  its  political  aspect,  that, 
at  the  very  moment  when  our  government  is  endeavoring  to 
obtain  the  importation  of  the  Greek  currant  into  America  free 
of  duty,  the  attorney  general  should  bring  Mr.  King,  who  is 
an  agent  of  America,  to  trial,  and  that  the  court  should  order 
his  expulsion  from  Greece — all  this  seems  to  us,  to  say  the 
least,  a  political  solecism." 

"  Mr.  King,"  it  added,  "  has  been  prosecuted  and  com- 
demned  to  expulsion,  for  teaching  every  Sunday,  in  his  own 
house,  the  tenets  of  the  denomination  to  which  he  belongs. 
Don  Constantine,  the  parish  priest  of  the  Catholics,  who  preach- 
es, not  in  his  private  house,  but  in  the  Catholic  church,  doc- 
trines contrary  to  our  holy  religion,  should,  therefore,  also  be 
prosecuted,  if  the  king's  attorney  wishes  to  be  consistent.  Con- 
sequently, we  must  destroy  the  article  in  the  Constitution  re- 
specting toleration,  and  proclaim  that  every  religion,  indeed, 
is  tolerated,  and  its  rites  may  be  celebrated  without  hinder- 
ance ;  but  that  the  priests  of  the  foreign  religion  will  be  pros- 
ecuted penally,  unless  they  profess  the  doctrines  of  the  Ortho- 
dox Church." 

Nor  did  the  conduct  of  the  judges  escape  the  animadversion 
it  richly  deserved.  All  intelligent  men  were  shocked  to  find 
that  the  most  sacred  provisions  of  law  had  been  violated. 
Even  papers  that  could  not  be  suspected  of  sympathy  with 
Dr.  King  or  his  work,  joined  in  denouncing  a  trial  in  which 
"  the  legal  tribunals  of  Greece" — to  use  the  forcible  language 
of  Mr.  Marsh — "  had  been  guilty  of  an  abuse  of  the  princi- 
ples of  justice,  and  a  perversion  of  the  rules  of  law,  as  fla- 
gitious as  any  that  ever  disgraced  the  records  of  the  Star 
Chamber." 

"We  can  not  forbear  to  mark  wnth  reprobation,"  said  the 
Courier  of  Athens,  "all  that  occurred  in  the  court-room.  The 
evening  before  the  trial  of  Mr.  King,  some  pious  individuals 
had  distributed  a  profusion  of  printed  cards  of  invitation.  On 
the  day  of  the  discussion,  a  crowd  of  the  lovers  of  scandal  re- 
paired to  the  rendezvous  with  a  determination  to  exercise  a 
pressure  on  the  court.  The. lawyers  were  at  every  moment 
interrupted  by  vociferations,  while  the  remarks  of  the  prose- 
cuting attorney  were  greeted  with  loud  applause.     Could  not 


MISSION    OF    MR.    MARSH.  365 

a  little  more,  we  will  not  say  .severity,  but  impartiality,  have 
repressed  such  manifestations,  so  contrary  to  our  manners,  to 
the  dignity  of  justice,  and  to  the  spirit  of  toleration  that  char- 
acterizes and  does  honor  to  the  Greek  people  ?  AVe  are  grieved 
to  be  compelled  to  announce  that  the  liberty  of  defence,  and 
the  gravity  which  should  preside  at  the  deliberations  of  jus- 
tice, have  been  greatly  compromised.  Especially  are  we  pained 
when  we  think  of  the  long  echo  which  this  trial  can  not  fail 
to  have  through  the  United  States — that  countrj-,  so  great  in 
its  present,  so  immense  in  its  futiire,  and  which  showed  itself 
so  sympathetic,  so  enthusiastic  even,  for  the  cause  of  our  in- 
dependence." 

The  subsequent  history  of  Dr.  King's  case  may  be  summed 
up  in  few  words.  Besides  the  unjust  trial  to  which  he  had 
been  subjected,  there  were  other  grievances  of  longer  standing. 
He  was  proprietor  of  a  considerable  plot  of  ground  on  the 
outskirts  of  Athens,  wliich  he  had  originally  bought  of  the 
Turks  for  a  mere  pittance.  As  the  city  increased,  it  became 
exceedingly  valuable.  But  the  government,  in  1835,  an- 
nounced the  intention  of  taking  a  part  of  it  for  a  public  square; 
and  though  this  plan  was  never  put  into  execution,  Dr.  King 
was  debarred  from  building  upon  it  himself,  and,  of  course, 
could  find  no  purchaser.  Thus  the  matter  stood  for  seven- 
teen years ;  the  government  neither  taking,  nor  alloTN^ng  him 
to  make  use  of  the  land.  The  former  American  consul  at 
Athens  had,  of  his  own  accord,  laid  the  case  before  ]Mr.  Web- 
ster, and  sent  on  for  the  documents  relative  to  it. 

With  characteristic  promptitude,  jNIt.  Webster,  then  Secre- 
tarj'  of  State,  on  the  29th  of  April — just  one  month  and  four 
days  after  the  publication  of  the  decision  of  the  Areopagus — 
instructed  ]Mr.  George  P.  Marsh,  our  minister  resident  at  Con- 
stantinople, to  proceed  to  Athens,  and  investigate  the  facts  re- 
lating to  the  alleged  grievances  of  Dr.  King.  Mr.  Marsh  ar- 
rived at  Athens  August  1st,  1852,  and,  after  completing  his 
inquiries,  left  on  the  21st  of  the  same  month.  His  able  re- 
ports, since  published  by  the  American  government,  exhibit 
the  injustice  of  the  treatment  Dr.  King  has  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  Greeks  in  the  clearest  manner.  On  the  5  th  of 
February,  1853,  INIr.  Everett,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  De- 


366  TRIAL    OF    DR.   KING. 

partment  of  State,  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Webster,  directed  JMi*. 
Marsh  to  return  to  Athens,  and  demand  of  the  Greek  govern- 
ment an  entire  remission  of  the  sentence  passed  upon  Dr. 
King,  and  a  pecuniary  indemnification  for  the  land  he  had 
been  deprived  of.  The  opinion  entertained  by  the  American 
government  may  be  inferred  from  the  follow^ing  passage :  "The 
v^^hole  character  of  the  proceedings,  as  minutely  detailed  by 
you,  is  such  as  to  place  the  character  of  the  Greek  tribunals 
and  the  administration  of  justice  in  an  unfavorable  light. 
Either  the  sound  and  safe  maxims  of  criminal  jurisprudence, 
w^hich  prevail  in  this  country,  are  unknow^n  to  the  jui'ispru- 
dence  of  Greece,  or  her  tribunals  were  presided  over  by  per- 
sons who  entertained  very  false  notions  of  the  judicial  char- 
acter, or  there  are  prejudices  against  Dr.  King  which,  in  his 
case,  at  least,  corrupted  the  fountains  of  justice.  It  is  not  in 
the  power  of  this  government,  at  so  great  a  distance,  to  form 
a  confident  opinion  to  which  of  the  above-mentioned  causes 
the  result  of  Dr.  King's  trial  is  to  be  ascribed.  It  may  have 
been  in  part  produced  by  all  three,  and  there  is  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  such  is  the  case.  This  state  of  things  unavoidably 
destroys  all  confidence  in  the  Greek  courts,  so  far  as  Dr.  King 
is  concerned,  and  compels  the  president  to  regard  their  decision 
in  this  case  as  unjust  and  oppressive." 

The  conduct  of  the  Greek  government  in  answer  to  the  de- 
mands of  Mr.  Marsh  was  not  such  as  the  American  govern- 
ment had  a  right  to  expect.  The  printed  correspondence  re- 
veals a  variety  of  subterfuges  to  avoid  compliance  with  the 
dictates  of  justice  and  an  enlightened  policy,  an  avoidance  of 
the  points  in  issue,  and  other  evasions  such  as  cunning  would 
readily  suggest  to  obstinacy,  for  the  sake  of  gaining  time. 
]VIr.  Marsh  left  Athens  without  having  succeeded  in  persuad- 
ing the  Greek  cabinet.  During  the  following  winter  the  gov- 
ernment, of  its  own  accord,  granted  to  Dr.  King  a  full  remis- 
sion of  the  sentence  of  imprisonment  and  exile.  At  length 
Mr.  Pryor,  specially  commissioned  by  the  president,  in  the 
summer  of  1855,  to  procure  an  indemnification  from  the 
Greek  government,  succeeded  in  obtaining  precisely  what  had 
been  so  obstinately  refused  two  years  previous  —  that  is  to 
say,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  the  sum  of  $25,000  for  the 


RESULTS    OF    THE    TKIAL.  367 

land  taken  away  from  Dr.  King  by  the  opening  of  the  pub- 
lic square. 

Such  have  been  the  consequences  of  a  trial  unequaled  in 
importance  by  any  that  have  come  before  a  Greek  tribunal 
since  the  establishment  of  national  independence.  It  was  in- 
stituted by  the  fanaticism  of  the  priestly  party,  with  the  pur- 
pose of  crushing  all  religious  discussion.  It  has  resulted  in 
the  firm  establishment  of  toleration  as  guaranteed  to  all 
known  religions  by  the  first  article  of  the  Constitution.  And 
while  convincing  the  Greek  government  that  the  United  States 
stands  ready  to  espouse  the  cause  of  any  of  its  citizens  in  dis- 
tress, it  has  strengthened  the  hands  of  the  American  mission- 
aries in  Greece,  by  evidencing  the  interest  which  American 
Christians  feel  in  those  who  are  battling  for  their  holy  faith 
at  distant  points  of  the  globe. 


GATE  OF  THE  NEW   AGORA. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  ATHENS— SYRA— CORFU. 

After  bidding  adieu  to  the  good  friends  whose  kind  offices 
had  contributed  so  much  to  render  my  stay  at  Athens  both 
agreeable  and  advantageous,  I  rode  down  to  Piraius  on  the 
day  before  the  steamer  left,  and  spent  some  hours  in  taking 
leave  of  my  acquaintances  there.  One  of  the  number  was 
Madame  Caratzas,  daughter  of  the  famous  INIarco  Bozzaris, 
and  formerly  one  of  the  maids  of  honor  to  Queen  Amelia.  She 
is  a  fine-looking  woman ;  but  scarcely  impresses  one  with 
the  idea  that  she  was  ever  so  beautiful  as  she  is  said  to  have 
been  by  those  who  saw  her  ten  years  ago.  She  has  several 
young  children.  The  name  of  Marco  Bozzaris,  though  never 
mentioned  but  with  profound  gratitude  by  the  Greeks,  is  not 
so  much  in  the  mouths  of  the  people  as  a  stranger  would  ex- 
pect. This  is  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that,  cut  off  in 
the  midst  of  his  course,  his  influence  upon  the  issue  of  the 
Revolution  wns  unimportant,  save  in  a  moral  point  of  view. 


THE    MAID    OK    ATHKNS.  360 

as  he  afforded  a  glorious  example  to  his  countrymen.  He  is, 
moreover,  represented  by  many  of  the  Greeks  as  an  illiterate 
man,  little  distinguished  above  most  of  the  combatants,  Avho 
■would  probably  never  have  emei-ged  from  an  obscure  sphere, 
had  not  his  magnanimous  death  been  immortalized  by  the  pen 
of  Halleck  and  of  others,  and  by  the  enthusiasm  of  Christian 
Europe.  I  am  loth,  however,  to  give  credit  to  any  statement 
that  detracts  from  the  traditional  honor  in  Avhich  the  name 
of  Marco  Bozzaris  is  held. 

The  countiy  seat  of  IVfr.  Contostaulos,  to  which  I  next  re- 
paired, lies  out  of  PirjBus,  and  his  house  is  surrounded  by  a 
garden  of  ten  acres  reduced  to  profitable  cultivation,  Mr.  C., 
■who  speaks  English  well,  was  one  of  the  agents  that  came  to 
the  United  States  during  the  late  revolution  to  attend  to  the 
construction  of  a  frigate  or  two  for  the  Greek  navy.  Al- 
though, in  the  progress  of  the  negotiations  to  secure  this  ob- 
ject, much  money  was,  without  doubt,  squandered  uselessly, 
the  character  of  INIr.  Contostaulos  has  been  triumphantly  vin- 
dicated from  all  aspersion.  In  the  neighborhood  of  this  villa, 
I  entered  an  establishment  lately  erected  by  a  Mr.  Kallis  for 
the  unwinding  of  silk  from  the  cocoon.  I  was  informed  that 
upward  of  forty  operatives  were  employed,  and  that  the  daily 
produce  is  one  hundred  and  forty  large  hanks  of  silk,  weigh- 
ing more  than  twenty  pounds.  The  investment  is,  probably, 
a  profitable  one ;  for  the  wages  of  operatives  vary  from  six- 
teen to  tAventy-five  cents  a  day. 

The  famous  "  Maid  of  Athens,"  whose  memory  will  endure 
so  long  as  Lord  Byron  is  remembered,  besides  exchanging  her 
name  of  Theresa  Macri  for  the  more  prosaic  IVIrs.  Black,  has 
transferred  her  residence  to  Pirasus.  That  she  was  fascina- 
ting once,  no  one  can  doubt  that  has  read  the  glo^wing  de- 
scriptions not  only  of  Byron,  but  also  of  other  travelers.  It 
may  be  readily  imagined,  however,  that  forty-two  years  have 
not  passed  since  the  poet  saw  her  without  producing  consid- 
erable changes  in  her  personal  appearance.  Her  children 
have  inherited  a  large  share  of  her  beauty.  Travelers  have 
frequently  remarked  that  they  never  beheld  a  more  noble 
frame  than  that  of  her  eldest  son,  whose  premature  death 
since  my  departure  has  thrown  a  gloom  over  a  once  happy 

Q2 


370  DErARTURK    FROM    ATITKNS SYKA CORFU. 

family,  and  over  a  lai'ge  circle  of  acquaintance.  ]VIr.  Black 
is  Professor  of  English  in  one  of  the  t\¥0  Athenian  Gymnasia, 
and  holds  at  the  same  time  the  post  of  British  Vice-consul. 

Modern  Piraeus  covers  only  a  small  portion  of  the  site  of 
the  ancient  town.  The  houses  are  mostly  collected  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  largest  of  three  harbors,  all  of  which  were 
once  used  for  commercial  purposes.  Old  Pirreus,  which  is 
supposed  to  have  equaled  in  size,  or  even  surpassed  Athens 
itself,  seems  to  have  extended  over  the  rocky  peninsula  of 
Munychia,  as  well  as  the  more  populous  districts  of  Piraeus 
proper  and  Phalerum.  A  lofty  wall,  whose  circuit  can  be 
easily  traced,  ran  around  the  entire  town,  constituting  as 
strong  a  defence  from  the  sea-board  as  on  the  land  side  ;  and 
the  entrances  to  the  harbors,  which  were  rendered  narrow  by 
strong  piers  projecting  from  the  opposite  sides,  in  time  of  dan- 
ger were  further  guarded  by  heavy  chains  extended  between 
their  abutments. 

Very  few  traces  of  public  and  private  edifices  remain.  Near 
the  port  of  Munychia,  the  principal  bathing-place  of  the  pres- 
ent inhabitants,  there  is  the  foundation  of  a  temple  dedicated 
to  Diana.  Not  far  from  the  same  spot  a  theatre  seems  to 
have  existed.  Tradition  points  out,  on  the  heights  of  Phale- 
rum, the  locality  where  St.  Paul  saw  the  altar  dedicated  to 
the  "  Unknown  God,"  of  which  he  made  such  happy  use  in 
his  speech  on  Mars'  Hill.  The  altar  is  a  rude  detached  rock, 
six  or  eight  feet  in  height,  one  side  of  which  has  been  cut  into 
a  I'egular  facade,  with  a  niche  between  two  imperfect  pilas- 
ters. The  hypothesis  that  this  was  the  altar  referred  to  by 
the  Apostle,  rests  on  the  slender  basis  of  a  passage  in  Pausa- 
nias,  which  says  that  there  were  altars  to  unknown  gods  at 
Phalerum,  "without  specifying  their  precise  locality.  It  is  ex- 
ceedingly doubtful  whether  the  rock  served  as  an  altar  at  all. 
On  another  part  of  the  same  hill,  an  opening  in  the  ground 
leads  downward  by  a  stairway  to  a  great  depth.  Its  use  ap- 
pears to  be  unknown,  imless  it  may  have  been  to  gain  access 
to  a  secret  well. 

On  the  28th  of  September,  bidding  farewell  to  Eev.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Buel,  at  whose  hospitable  mansion  I  had  spent  the 
previous  night,  and  to  a  number  of  my  Athenian  friends,  who 


IlKKMOl'UI.IS.  871 

had  ridden  down  to  see  me  leave,  I  went  on  board  the  small 
Austrian  steamer  Archiduca  Ludovico,  bound  for  Syra.  By  a 
singular  and  unforeseen  coincidence,  it  was  the  anniversary  of 
my  aiTival  at  the  same  port. 

Our  steamer  should  have  started  at  six  o'clock  p.m.  ;  but  it 
was  full  an  hour  later  before  we  got  under  way.  A  short 
distance  from  us  lay  a  government  sloop  at  anchor.  A  stout 
man  dressed  m  gaudy  costume,  who  stood  on  its  deck,  mo- 
nopolized the  attention  of  all  the  Greek  passengers.  This 
was  the  public  executioner.  Such  is  the  repugnance  enter- 
tained by  the  modern  Greeks  for  the  infliction  of  capital  pun- 
ishment, that  the  greatest  difficulty  is  experienced  in  obtain- 
ing any  one  willing  to  execute  the  sentence  of  the  law.  The 
executioner  is  certain  of  falling  a  \'ictim  to  the  revenge  of  the 
friends  of  the  culprit,  unless  extraordinary  measures  are  taken 
for  his  protection.  The  individual  that  was  on  board  the 
sloop-of-war  had  been  successively  carried  to  Chalcis  and  oth- 
er places,  where  executions  took  place. 

It  was  already  quite  dark  when  we  started ;  and  in  making 
our  way  out  of  the  harbor,  we  barely  escaped  sinking  a  small 
pleasure-boat.  We  reached  the  island  of  Syra  early  the  next 
morning,  and  anchored  off  the  city  of  Hermopolis.  A  few 
hours  only  were  allowed  the  passengers  to  pass  to  the  larger 
steamers,  that  were  to  convey  them,  according  to  their  desti- 
nation, either  to  Trieste,  or  to  Smyrna  and  Constantinople. 
I  improved  the  little  time  thus  afforded  me  in  looking  about 
the  town. 

A  boatman  whom  I  engaged  to  convey  me  to  the  shore 
promised  to  conduct  me  to  the  house  of  Eev.  Mr.  Hildner. 
The  city  is  entirely  modern  ;  for  the  old  village  of  Syra  before 
the  Kevolution  covered  only  the  top  of  a  lofty  hiU.  Hermo- 
polis extends  over  the  lower  portion  of  the  same  hill ;  and  be- 
tween the  two  towns  there  intervenes  a  considerable  space  of 
open  ground.  Syra  proper  was  constructed  at  a  time  when, 
on  account  of  the  depredations  of  pirates,  the  most  inaccessi- 
ble spots  were  chosen  for  the  sites  of  towns  and  villages.  The 
lower  town  is  probably  by  far  the  most  commercial  place  in 
Greece,  not  even  excepting  Patras.*     The  population  is  about 

*  According  to  the  statements  of  a  Greek  journal,  it  had  in  1852 


372  DEPAKTl  UK    FKCtM    ATHENS SYIIA COP.FL. 

eighteen  thousand,  of  whom  twenty-five  hundred  live  in  the 
upper  town.  The  inhabitants  of  this  quarter  are  almost  ex- 
clusively Koman  Catholics,  and  the  hill  is  crowned  by  a  mon- 
astery belonging  to  that  denomination.  As  we  ascended  the 
hill  to  ]VIr.  Hildner's  house,  we  found  the  streets  so  steep  that 
I  was  not  astonished  that  no  carriages  or  conveyances  of  any 
kind  were  to  be  seen.  Indeed,  I  do  not  know  that  any  are 
employed. 

'Mr.  Hildner  received  me  very  kindly,  and  insisted  on  my 
going  with  him  to  see  the  schools  under  his  charge,  connected 
with  the  "  Church  Missionary  Society"  of  England.  They  con- 
tain at  present  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  scholars ;  and 
the  number  would  undoubtedly  be  much  larger,  were  it  not 
for  the  opposition  of  the  government  and  clergy,  excited  by 
the  determination  he  has  evinced  not  to  introduce  the  Cate- 
chism of  the  prevailing  church.  The  method  of  instruction  is 
partly  Lancasterian.  A  Greek  gentleman,  IVIr.  Evangelides, 
who  was  educated  in  the  United  States,  has  established  a 
flourishing  academy  in  Syra.  I  had  only  time  to  call  on  him 
for  a  few  moments,  as  the  steamer  for  Trieste  left  at  noon. 

Our  new  steamer,  the  Foncaixl,  sailed  the  whole  afternoon 
among  the  Cyclades.  When  I  came  on  deck  the  next  morn- 
ing, we  were  off  the  southern  coast  of  Messenia,  near  the 
island  of  Sapienza.  Passing  by  the  old  Turkish  town  of 
Modon,  whose  walls  reach  to  the  water's  edge,  we  pursued 
our  way  northward,  keeping  close  to  the  shore.  This  gave  us 
an  admirable  opportunity  for  seeing  the  Bay  of  Navarino,  so 
famous  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times.  It  is  of  a  semi- 
circular shape,  and  the  long  and  narrow  island  of  Sphacteria, 
or  Sphagia,  nearly  incloses  it,  leaving  a  single  narrow  entrance 
at  the  southern  end.  The  old  town  of  Navarino,  or  Neo-castro, 
as  it  is  universally  called  by  the  Greeks,  occupies  very  nearly 
the  site  of  Pylus,  the  home  of  Nestor,  mentioned  in  the  first 

six  hundred  and  eighty-four  vessels  of  all  kinds,  with  a  capacity  of  about 
eighty-eight  thousand  tons,  and  manned  by  near  five  thousand  sailors. 
The  greater  part  of  these  are,  of  course,  small  vessels ;  there  \\ere  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three  of  betM'een  three  and  four  hundred  tons,  and 
only  nine  between  four  and  five  hundred.  The  value  of  the  whole  ship- 
ping was  estimated  at  $1,700,000. 


SHRINE    OF    SAINT    SPTRIDON.  373 

books  of  the  Odyssey.  The  island  of  Sphacteria  is  celebrated 
for  the  defeat  and  capture  of  a  Lacedaemonian  detachment  in 
the  seventh  year  of  the  Peloponnesian  war ;  in  which  the 
boast  of  the  braggart  Cleon  met  so  unexpected  a  fulfillment. 
The  bay  itself  was  signaUzed  by  the  conflict  between  the 
Allied  and  Turco-Egyptian  fleets,  on  October  20th,  1827,  an 
action  which  arose  from  what  would  seem  to  have  been  a 
casual  occiuTence,  and  ended  in  the  total  annihilation  of  the 
Turkish  fleet.  In  the  course  of  three  hours,  two  hundred  and 
fourteen  ships  were  sunk,  disabled,  or  captured  ;  and  from  that 
time  the  independence  of  Greece  was  established. 

That  afternoon  about  four  o'clock  we  entered  the  harbor 
of  Zante.  The  city  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  high  ridge,  on 
whose  summit  is  a  fort  occupied  by  the  British  garrison.  We 
stopped  merely  to  take  in  and  land  passengers.  The  next 
morning  at  five  we  were  entering  the  harbor  of  Corfu,  the 
ancient  Corcyra,  the  chief  island  of  the  Ionian  Confederacy, 
and  the  residence  of  the  English  lord  high  commissioner. 

Having  a  few  hours  to  spend  in  this  place,  where  several 
days  could  be  occupied  to  advantage,  I  landed  with  an  Ionian 
lawyer,  whose  acquaintance  I  made  at  Athens,  and  who  was 
returning  from  a  visit  to  Zante.  By  sj^ecial  favor,  we  were 
permitted  to  take  our  seats  in  the  boat  of  the  health-officer. 
As  it  was  yet  early,  I  walked  with  my  friend  first  of  all  to 
the  famous  shrine  of  St.  Spyridon,  the  patron  saint  of  the 
island.  His  bones,  which  are  reputed  to  be  possessed  of 
miraculous  properties,  and  which,  doubtless,  exhale  fliat  singu- 
lar sweetness  peculiar,  according  to  the  legendaries,  to  saintly 
relics,  are  encased  in  a  silver  sarcophagus,  and  deposited  in  a 
corner  of  the  chancel.  My  companion  told  me  that  thousands 
of  the  laboring  classes  visit  the  church  every  morning  before 
going  about  their  daily  work,  in  order  to  kiss  the  silver  coffin, 
and  expect  by  this  pious  act  to  insure  good  success  in  all  their 
occupations. 

A -recent  occurrence  has  tended  to  raise  to  a  still  higher 
pitch  the  awe  in  which  the  relics  are  held.  A  lawyer,  as  the 
story  goes,  not  long  since  brought  suit  against  a  former  client 
for  about  one  hundred  dollars,  due  as  a  remuneration  for  his 
services.     The  respondent  averred  that  he  had  paid  the  money 


374      DEPARTURE  FROM  ATHENS SYRA CORFU. 

some  mouths  previous  ;  but  confessed  that,  relying  on  his  law- 
yer's honesty,  he  had  taken  no  receipt.  This  the  plaintiff 
stoutly  denied,  and  confirmed  his  denial  by  an  oath  taken  on 
the  Gospel.  The  judges  having  long  since  pex'ceived  that  the 
people  are  more  afraid  of  perjuring  themselves  when  sworn  on 
the  relics  of  St.  Spyi'idon  than  when  they  merely  kiss  the 
Scriptures,  resorted  to  this  expedient  in  order  to  extort  the 
truth.  The  la^vyer,  however,  still  jjersisted  in  his  demand,  and 
invoked  upon  himself  the  vengeance  of  St.  Spyridon  if  a  word 
of  what  he  said  was  false.  Thus  he  gained  his  suit.  Not* 
long  afterward,  his  right  hand,  with  which  he  had  touched 
the  silver  sarcophagus,  began  to  mortify ;  and  the  gangrene 
spread  so  I'apidly  that  it  could  only  be  checked  by  the  ampu- 
tation of  his  arm.  The  superstitious  immediately  inferred  his 
guilt,  and  attributed  his  misfortune  to  the  efficiency  of  the 
relics.  The  incident  has  very  sensibly  augmented  the  venera- 
tion of  the  common  people ;  and  this  feeling  is  fostered  by  the 
ecclesiastics,  who  profit  by  the  increased  amount  of  contribu- 
tions to  the  funds  of  the  church. 

I  called  at  Corfu  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chartres,  chaplain  of  one 
of  the  Scotch  regiments,  and  a  missionary  of  the  English 
Presbyterian  Church  among  the  Jews,  of  whom  there  are 
great  numbers  here.  While  walkuig  with  me  to  the  summit 
of  the  citadel,  he  gave  me  some  account  of  his  labors,  and  the 
difficulties  he  had  encountered  in  imparting  instruction  to  the 
Jews,  and  particularly  in  overcoming  the  prejudice  entertained 
by  that  people  against  the  education  of  girls.  From  the  cita- 
del there  was  an  excellent  view  not  only  of  the  city,  but  of 
the  surrounding  country.  The  ancient  Corcyra  is  supposed  to 
have  stood  considerably  south  of  the  present  city,  which  is 
crowded  into  a  narrow  space  by  two  heights,  each  crowned 
with  fortifications.  Thei'e  arc  two  mountains  in  sight,  Monte 
Decca  on  the  south,  and  Monte  San  Salvadore  on  the  north, 
at  a  greater  distance.  There  is  a  bay  just  in  sight  below 
Mount  Decca,  at  whose  mouth  is  said  to  be  situated  the  rock 
called  the  "  Sail  of  Ulysses."  In  the  same  direction  are  the 
"  Gardens  of  Alcinoiis"  and  the  fountain  where  the  poet  tells 
us  TTlysses  surprised  Nausicaa  and  her  maids. 

The  city  of  Corfu  contains  about  twenty  thousand  inhabit- 


THE    IONIAN    CONFEDERATION.  375 

ants,  and  is  very  compactly  built,  fi-oni  the  nature  of  its  situa- 
tion. The  Jewish  quarter  is  large,  and  the  synagogues,  though 
with  an  unpretending  exterior,  are  well  furnished.  As  usual, 
several  congregations  worship  in  dift'erent  stories  of  the  same 
edifice.  Two  or  three  British  regiments  are  stationed  here, 
and  there  are  altogether  five  in  the  Ionian  Confederation,  The 
English  rule  here  more  as  masters  than  as  protectors.  From 
the  tone  of  public  sentiment,  as  expressed  in  the  Legislature 
and  by  the  press,  there  appears  to  be  little  sympathy  felt  by 
the  lonians  for  the  English.  The  attempt  to  cause  the  hete- 
rogeneous elements  to  coalesce,  has  thus  far  proved  abortive. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  "  Seven  Islands,"  claiming  a  common 
origin  with  the  Greeks,  are  already  anxious  to  effect  a  union 
with  the  kingdom  of  Otho.  Italian  has  until  lately  been  the 
ofl&cial  language ;  but  recently  the  Legislature  has  decreed  that 
all  speeches  must  be  made  in  Greek.  The  rule  is  very  incon- 
venient for  those  who  are  accustomed  to  make  use  of  the 
Italian  alone ;  but  it  will  draw  yet  closer  the  bonds  that  unite 
the  Ionian  Confederation  to  the  Hellenic  kingdom.  The  young 
men  wdll  hencefoi'th  be  obliged  to  complete  their  education  at 
the  University  of  Athens,  instead  of  resorting  to  the  schools 
of  Pisa,  Bologna,  or  Kome. 

At  eleven  o'clock  our  steamer  weighed  anchor,  and  we 
were  once  more  under  way  for  Trieste.  We  kept  close  to  the 
high  coast  of  Albania,  and  before  night  had  reached  the  Dal- 
matian frontier. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Absp,  remains  of,  248. 

Acliraet-Aga,  263. 

Acrocorinthus,  great  strength  of,  157. 

.•Vcropolis  of  Athens,  its  walls  of  all  ages,  31. 

.(Egaleos,  Mount,  2S1. 

^geus,  38. 

vEgina,  164,  etc. ;  ruins  of  temple  of,  165. 

Aganippe,  fountain  of,  273. 

Agora,  or  market-place  of  Modem  Athens, 

25. 
Agora,  gate  of  the  new,  C5. 
Alaric,  at  Athens,  tradition  as  to,  47. 
Albanians  in  Greece,  271. 
Alpheus,  river,  206. 
Amelia,  Queen,  personal  appearance  of, 

l().x 
Amphissa,  233. 
Andritzena,  205. 
Antiquities,    exportation    of,    prohibited, 

104  ;  little  attention  paid  to,  332. 
Apollo  Epicurius,  temple  of,  204 
Arachova,  village  of,  238. 
.\rchseological  Society  of  Athens,  332. 
^Vreopagus,   or  Mars'  Hill,  62;    St.   Paul 

preaches  there,  6-3. 
Argolic  plain,  143. 
Argos,  ancient  and  modem,  151. 
AiTuor,  discoverj-  of  ancient,  206,  267. 
Arnold,  Kev.   Mr.,   missionary  labors  of, 

126. 
.\rtemisium.  Straits  of,  262,  263. 
Asopius,  Professor,  78,  331. 
Athens,  entrance  into,  19 ;  mortality  of, 

100,  now. 
Athens,  plain  of,  17,  2S4. 
Athens,  streets  of,  21,  73;  badly  laid-  out 

of  old,  30,  31. 
Athos,  Moimt,  its  monks  the  chief  teach- 
ers in  ISth  century,  315. 
Atreus,  Treasury  of,  at  Mycens,  147, 14S. 
Aulis,  site  of,  270. 

B. 

Bacchus,  Theatre  of,  57. 

Ballad  Poetry,  343,  etc. ;  classes  of,  344 ; 

collections  of,  354,  note. 
Bambas,   Neophytus,    80;    translates  the 

Bible,  330;  works  of,  331. 
Baptism,  98;  by  trine  immersion,  99. 
Basil,  Saint,  songs  in  honor  of,  351. 
Bible,  translated  into  Modem  Greek,  331 ; 

introduced  into  the  public  schools  as  a 

text-book,  ih. 
Blessing  the  Sea,  133. 
Boucovallas,  Jolm,  song  of,  349. 
Bozzaris,  Marco,  368,  369. 
Bribery  in  the  Greek  Church,  124. 


Buchon,  M.  ;  discoveries  at  Daphne,  282. 

Buel,  Kev.  Mr.,  missionary  labors  of,  126, 
etc. 

Byron,  Lord;  remarks  on  the  Greek  Lit- 
erature of  18th  century,  315. 

C. 

C'admeum  o'  Thebes,  272. 

Calandri,  299. 

Calauria,  now  Poros,  140. 

Calavryta,  224. 

Callidromus,  Mount,  254. 

Callirrhoe,  fountain  of,  53. 

Capo  d'Istria,  murder  of,  152. 

Caratzas,  Madame,  daughter  of  Marco 
Bozzaris,  368. 

Caryatides,  portico  of,  44. 

Castalia,  fountain  at  I>elphi,  235. 

Castaniotissa,  murder  at,  264,  note. 

Castri,  234. 

Catalan  Grand  Company ;  their  victory 
and  conquest  of  the  duchy  of  Athens, 
247. 

Catechism  of  Plato,  120,  121,  note. 

"Cathrcptes  Gynaicon,"  316. 

Cenchrea,  158. 

Cephissus,  Atlienian  river,  294. 

Cephissus,  Bceotian,  valley  of,  242. 

Cha>ronea,  acropolis  of,  240 ;  battle  of,  240, 
241 ;  lion  of,  242. 

Chalcis,  266 ;  discovery  of  ancient  annor 
at,  266,  267. 

Charon,  has  taken  the  place  of  Mercuiy, 
353. 

Chartres,  Rev.  Mr.,  labors  of,  among  the 
Jews,  374. 

Christopoulos,  lyric  poems  of,  329,  330. 

Church,  interior  arrangements  of,  134. 

Church,  Sir  Richard,  26,  etc. 

Cimon,  builds  a  temple  to  Victory,  37. 

Cithseron,  Mount,  276. 

Cleona>,  156. 

Clergy,  condition  of,  123. 

Clitor,  traces  of,  212. 

Cnemis,  Mount,  253. 

Colonos,  hillock  of,  294. 

Constitution,  how  obtained,  108 ;  its  pro- 
visions, 108,  etc. 

Consulate,  disturbance  at  the  American, 
23. 

Contostaulos,  Mr.,  369. 

Copais,  Lake,  246,  272. 

Coray,  or  Coraes,  Adamantius ;  life  of,  316 ; 
his  youth,  317;  goes  to  France,  ib. ; 
translates  Strabo,  318;  his  classical  se- 
ries, 319  ;  religious  sentiments  of,  321 ; 
translates  the  "Advice  of  Three  Bi.sh- 
ops,"  ih. ;  considers  the  Revolution  pre- 


378 


INDEX. 


mature,  3'2'2 ;  views  in  respect  to  the 
language,  325,  320. 

Corfu  (or  Corcyra),  island  of,  373,  3T4,  375. 

Corinth,  Vn,  158;  Gulf  of,  232. 

Corycian  Cave,  on  Mount  Parnassus,  his- 
tory of,  236. 

Costumes,  of  the  Athenians,  71 ;  at  Exar- 
cho,  249,  250. 

Cottage,  interior  of  a,  189,  etc. 

Coumanoiides,  329. 

Crissa,  town  of,  233. 

Cynosura,  promontory  of,  285, 

D. 

Daphne,  Monastery  of,  282;  burial-place 

of  the  dukes  of  Athens,  ib. 
Daulis,  ruins  of  the  acropolis  of,  239. 
Deceleia,  pass  of,  285. 
Declaration  of  Independence,  167. 
Delphi  (now  Castri),  necropolis  of,  233; 

vale  and  ruins  of,  234. 
Delphi,  Mount,  in  Euboea,  265. 
Demetrius,  Saint,  legend  respecting,  68. 
"Digging  through"  walls,  74. 
Doukas,  Neophytus,  323;  his  views  of  the 

Modern    Greek,    324;    his   works,   76., 

note. 
Drami  All  Pasha,  rout  of,  153. 

E. 

Education,  statistics  of,  85,  86,  87. 

Ehitea,  remains  of,  251 ;  taken  by  Philip 
of  Macedon,  ib. ;  consequent  consterna- 
tion at  Athens,  252. 

Electioneering,  140. 

Eleusis,  ruins  of,  280 ;  harbor  of,  281. 

Elgin,  Lord,  spoiler  of  Greece,  45. 

Epidaurus,  166,  etc. 

Erechtheum,  43. 

Eubcea,  island,  scenery  of,  263,  etc;  fer- 
tility of,  264. 

Euripus,  205,  269. 

Exarcho,  village  of,  248 ;  costume  of  the 
women  at,  249,  250. 

Executioner,  hatred  entertained  against, 
S71. 


Fallmeriiyer,  Professor,  335. 

Fauriel,  C. ;  on  Greek  popular  songs,  344. 

Finlay,  George,  the  historian,  28,  29,  035, 

note. 
Fountain,  miraculous,  at  Syriani,  303. 
Fountains  for  travelers,  290. 
Fruit,  vai-ious  kinds  produced  in  Greece, 

26. 
Funeral  processions,  100, 101. 

G. 

Galanos,  Demetrius,  studies  Oriental  lan- 
guages, 336 ;  translations  by,  337. 

Galaxidi,  town  of,  233. 

Gazes,  Archimandrite,  lexicon  of,  341. 

Germanos,  Bishop;  his  history  of  the 
Greek  Revolution,  333,  334. 

Government,  administration  of,  lit. 

Grecian  States,  small  extent  of,  179. 

Greek  Ballads,  343,  etc. 

Greek  Church,  115,  etc.;  in  Greece  inde- 
pendent of  the  Patriarch,  117 ;  doctiines 
of,  120,  ete. 


Greek  Language,  Modem;  close  resem- 
blance to  the  Ancient,  307  ;  disadvanta- 
geous comparisons  of,  308 ;  sounds  of 
letters  in,  ib. ;  pronounced  according  to 
accent,  309 ;  gi'ammatical  changes  in, 
ib. ;  introduction  of  foreign  words,  310; 
reaction  in  this  century,  ib. ;  supplants 
the  Italian  in  the  Ionian  Legislature, 
375. 

Greek  Literature,  Modem,  313,  etc. 

H. 

Hadrian,  Emperor,  rebuUds  Athens,  48. 

Hadrian,  Gate  of,  49. 

Hadrian,  Stoa  of,  04. 

Hair,  long,  in  token  of  mourning  and  re- 
venge, 72. 

Helicon,  Mount,  273. 

Hersea,  200. 

Ilermopolis,  071. 

Herodes,  Atticus,  wealth  of,  57 ;  Odeum 
of,  58. 

Hiero  of  iEsculapius,  169,  etc. ;  theatre  at, 
170. 

llildner,  Pvcv.  Mr.,  schools  of,  372. 

Hill,  Rev.,  Dr.,  missionary  labors  of,  126, 
etc. 

Holy  Week  at  Athens,  128,  etc. 

Honey  of  Mount  Ilymettus,  304. 

Ilorologium  of  Cyrrliestes,  64. 

Ilyampolis,  ruins  of,  2,51. 

Hydra,  island  and  town  of,  14,  140. 

Hyraettus,  Mount,  302. 

Ilypate,  or  Neo-Patras,  257. 

Hysise  (now  Achladocampo),  176. 

L 

Ilissus,  River,  52. 

Imprecation  against  trespassers,  32. 

Inscriptions,  discovery  of,  333. 

Isthmus  of  Corinth,  fonner  canal  through, 

159. 
Ithome,  Mount,  196;   its  brave  defence, 

197. 

J. 
Jupiter,  temple  of,  at  Olympia,  207. 
Jupiter  Olympius,  temple  of,  at  Athens, 

50;  history  of,  51. 
Jupiter  Panhellenius,  temple  of,  at  .lEgina, 

164,  165. 
Justinian,  Emperor,  confiscates  the  funds 

of  the  schools,  314. 

K. 

Kaires,  TheophUus,  340,  note. 

Kalamaki,  159. 

Kariskakis,  grave  of,  18. 

Xatavothra,  or  subteiTaneous  channels, 
175,  214,  237,  246,  265. 

Keratia,  291. 

Khassia,  calyvia  of,  295. 

Khelmos,  Mount,  213. 

King,  Rev.  Jonas;  appearance  of,  22; 
missionary  labors  of,  126 ;  trial  of,  355, 
etc. ;  sentenced  to  imprisonment  and  ex- 
ile, 301 ;  imprisonment  of,  302 ;  his  sen- 
tence affirmed  by  the  Areopagus,  363 ; 
his  trial,  liow  regarded  by  the  Press, 
063,  etc. ;  American  Government  inter- 
feres in  his  behalf,  365;  results  of  his 
trial,  360,  367. 


379 


KJeft,  AVounded,  song  of,  54S. 

Kli-fts,  dcsciiption  of,  34r),  etc. ;  incidents 
in  the  life  of,  described  iu  ballads,  347, 
34S ;  sung  aXpanegijris,  349 ;  change  in, 
350. 

L. 

Lala,  siege  of,  209. 

Lamia,  or  Zeitun,  25T. 

Lamps,  simple  construction  of,  220. 

Larissa  of  .\rgos,  173. 

Larissa  Cremaste,  ruins  of,  252. 

Laurium,  Mount,  silver  mines  of,  291. 

Lebadea,  or  Livadia,  ancient  and  modem, 
243,  244. 

Lecves,  Henry,  murder  of,  2G4,  note. 

Lernian  marsh,  142,  174. 

Leuctra,  battle  and  battle-field  of,  273, 
274. 

Lexicography,  Greek,  341. 

Lions,  Gate  of.  at  Myccns,  148,  149 ;  de- 
scription bv  Pausanias,  150. 

Long  Walls  of  .Uhens,  IS,  61. 

Lowndes,  Rev.  Mr.,  dictionaries  of,  341. 

Lycabettus,  Mount,  near  Athens,  24,  2S4. 

Lysicrates,  choragic  monument  of,  54,  etc. 

M. 

"  Maid  of  Athens,"  the,  3(!9. 
Male  sex,  preference  of,  75. 
Mamoukas ;  his  documentary  history  of 

the  Revolution,  334,  note. 
Mantinea,  17S,  etc. 
Marathon,  plain  of,  2S5 ;  mound  at,  2S6 ; 

battle  of,  ib.  ;  number  of  combatants  at, 

ib. 
Marathona,  village  of,  2S8. 
Mannage  ceremony  in  Greece,  90,  etc. 
Maniage,  compulsory,  92. 
JIasonry,  Greek,  periods  of,  250,  7iote. 
Mass,  celebration  of  the,  135. 
Jledi'ese,  the  common  prison  of  Athens,  25. 
Megalopolis  (now  Sinano),  193. 
Megaspelion,  Monastery  of,  225,  etc. 
^Mercantile  Houses  of  Greeks  abroad,  16, 

note. 
Messene,  stadium  of,  199 ;  great  gate  of, 

200. 
!Messenian  plain,  195. 
Jletros,  Theodore,  dj-ing  song  of,  343. 
Miaulis,  Admiral,  tomb  of,  138. 
Middle  Ages,  destruction  of  monuments 

belonging  to,  36. 
Minerva  the  Health-giver,  altar  or  pedes- 
tal of,  45. 
Slinerva  Hellotis,  temple  of,  at  Marathon, 

2SS. 
Minerva  Parthenon,  temple  of,  38,  etc. 
Jlinerva  Promachus,  statue  of,  46. 
Jlinerva,  temple  of,  at  Sunium,  292. 
Mints  for  counterfeit  Turkish  coin  at  Hy- 

dr.a,  141. 
Minyas,  Treasury  of,  at  Orchomenus,  24.5. 
Jlissionaries,  American,  in  Greece,  126, 

127. 
Mistra,  184,  188. 

Mu-rologia,  or  Laments,  352,  353. 
Monembasia,  strong  situation  of,  14. 
Mortality  of  Athens,  100.  note. 
MiiUer,  death  of,  235,  note. 
Museum,  hill,  at  Athens,  59. 
Mycense,  ruins  of,  146,  etc. 


Xaujilia,  or  Napoli  di  Romania,  141,  etc., 

172. 
Navarino,  battle  of,  373. 
Nomea,  ruins  of  the  temple  of,  154,  1.05. 
Newspapers   published  in   Greece,   their 

number,  311,  note. 
Nymphs,  Grotto  of  the,  at  Cephisia,  289. 
Nymphs,  Observatoiy  on  the  Hill  of  the, 

85. 

O. 

Observatoiy  at  Athens,  85. 

Odysseus,  a  revolutionary  chief,  reported 
vandalism  of,  242. 

(Edipus,  at  Schiste,  2S9  ;  at  Colonos,  294. 

(Enoo,  acropolis  of  276  ;  interior  of  a  tow- 
er of,  277  ;  fortifications  of,  278. 

Otierings  to  the  dead,  101,  102. 

Olonos,  Jlount,  the  ancient  Eiymanthus, 
210. 

Olympia,  temple  of  Jupiter  at,  207 ;  heat 
of  the  valley  of  208. 

Olympus,  Mount,  203. 

Opisthodomus,  or  State  treasmy  of  Athens, 
40. 

Orchomenus,  245 ;  Treasury  of  Jlinyas  at, 
ib. ;  acropolis  of,  ih. 

Oreos,  or  Iiistia?a,  262. 

Otho,  King  of  Greece,  107. 

Othrys,  Mount,  258. 


Palace  garden,  antiquities  in,  70. 

Palamede,  the,  at  Nauplia,  141. 

Pallantium,  ISO. 

Panathenaic  procession,  33. 

Panegyri,  or  fair,  180,  349. 

Panopeus,  remains  of  the  acropolis  of,  239. 

Papa  Trechas,  story  of,  320. 

Pardon,  plenary ;  offered  by  the  Patriarch 
of  Jerusalem,  124. 

Parnassus,  Mount,  ascent  of,  236,  238. 

Parthenon,  or  temple  of  Minerva,  at  Ath- 
ens, situation  of,  38,  39;  becomes  a 
Christian  Church,  40;  ruined  by  the 
Venetians,  ib.  ;  frieze  of,  41 ;  workshop 
of,  42;  recent  discoveries  respecting, 
ib. 

Parties,  political,  112;  ecclesiastical,  125. 

Pellana,  18S. 

Pentele  (or  Mendele),  Monastery  of,  299, 
801. 

Pentelicus,  Mount,  marble  (juarries  of, 
300;  prospect  from,  Sol. 

Periodicals  published  at  Athens,  311,  note. 

Pharmakides,  Professor,  118,  338. 

Pheneus  (now  Phonia),  lake  of,  215;  its 
outlet,  ib. ;  rising  of  its  waters,  217; 
monastery  of,  218. 

Phigalea,  203 ;  temple  of  (at  Bassjr),  204. 

Philopappus,  monument  of,  59,  00. 

Phoron,  harljorof,  304. 

Phyle,  fortress  of,  296;  Thrasybulus  at, 
297 ;  views  of.  293,  313. 

Pinacotheke  of  the  Athenian  Acropolis,  35. 

Pira?us,  the  port  of  Athen.s.  3.  370. 

Pitch,  wines  of  Greece  flavored  with,  280. 

Pittakes,  Jlr.,  Inspector  General  of  An- 
tiquities in  Greece,  39,  332. 

Plaisance,  duchess  of,  299. 


380 


INDEX. 


Platrea,  2T5 ;  battle  of,  ih. ;  history  of,  276. 

Piiyx,  at  Athens,  62. 

Polymeres,  lexiccCn  of,  D42. 

Population  of  Greece,  actual,  85 ;  possible, 

243. 
Pottery,  ancient,  singular  remains  of,  59. 
Prayer,  posture  obsei-ved  in,  135. 
Presentation  at  Court.  105. 
Profanity  among  the  Greeks,  214. 
Propyla^a  of  the  Athenian  Acropolis,  great 

strength  of,  34. 
Psophis  (now  Tripotamo),  211. 
Pundonitza,  village  of,  253. 

R. 
Raehi,  village  of,  plundered  by  robbers, 

258,  etc. 
Kadinos,  translator  of  Herodotus,  33'-. 
Eangabes,  A.,  poems  of,  329. 
Revenue  of  Greece,  113. 
Revival  of  learning  in  the  18th  century, 

its  causes,  314. 
Revolution,  Greek,  histories  of  the,  333, 

334.. 
Rheiti,  salt-springs  of,  281. 
Road,  ancient  Greek,  269. 
Robberies  in  Northern  Greece,  257,  etc. 
Romaic  dance,  132,  133. 


"  Sacred  Way,"  the,  282. 

Saints  have  supplanted  the  heathen  gods, 
163. 

Salamis,  Straits  of,  304 ;  Battle  of,  305. 

Salomos,  329. 

Saripolos ;  his  eloquent  defence  of  Kaires, 
340,  and  note. 

Scarlatus  Byzantinus,  lexicons  of,  342. 

Schiste,  pass  of,  239. 

Scripu  (the  ancient  Orchomenus),  monas- 
tery of,  244. 

Sellasia,  battle-field  of,  183. 

Senate-house  of  Athens,  discovery  of  sup- 
posed site  of,  332. 

Small-po.\,  euphemistic  name  of,  353. 

Socrates,  prison  of,  61. 

Solos,  219. 

Soutsos,  Alexander,  328. 

Soutsos,  Panagiotes,  327. 

Sparta,  186,  etc. 

Speliades,  chronicles  of,  334. 

Spezzia,  14,  141. 

Sphacteria,  island  of,  372. 

Spyridon,  Saint,  church  of,  373;  miracle 
performed  by,  373,  374. 

Stadium  of  Athens,  53. 

Stoa  Poecile,  66. 

Student-life  in  Athens,  82. 

Stylida,  257. 

Stymphalus,  Lake ;  supposed  outlet  of,  175. 

Styx,  River,  221 ;  mysterious  properties  at- 
tributed to  its  waters,  222. 

Sunium,  excursion  to,  290 ;  temple  of  Mi- 
nerva at,  292. 


Superstitions,  remains  of  ancient,  ;j5.'>. 
Swallow,  song  of  the,  350. 
Syta,  island  of,  371,  372. 
Syriani,  monastery  of,  302. 

T. 

Tanagra,  remains  of,  271. 

Taygetus,  Mount,  184. 

Tegea,  181,  182. 

Tenos,  churcli  of  the  Evangelista  at ;  its 

votive  offerings,  163. 
Themistocles,  tomb  of,  138. 
Thermopylae,  pass  of,  254 ;  .alluvial  changes 

at,  255 ;  hot  springs  at,  256. 
ThespiiB,  site  of,  272. 
Thessaly  Phthiotis,  257. 
Thrasybulus  at  Pliyle,  297. 
Three  Hierarchs,  feast  of  the,  134. 
Tiryns,  ruins  of,  144;  description  by  Pau- 

sanias,  14.5. 
Tombazi,  Admiral,  patriotic  exclamation 

of,  141. 
Tome,  the  Synodical,  118. 
Tricoupes,  history  of  the  Greek  Revolution 

by,  334. 
Tripods,  street  of  the,  at  Athens,  56,  57. 
Tripolitza,  180 ;  siege  of,  1'81. 
Troetus,  pass  of,  153. 
Trophonius,  cave  of,  at  Lebadea,  243. 
Turks,  the  first  slain  in  the  Revolution, 

220. 


University  of  Otho  at  Athens,  77,  etc. ;  li- 
brary of,  79  ;  professors  in,  81 ;  four  fac- 
ulties of,  83;  number  of  students,  83,  84. 

Unknown  God,  altar  of  the,  370. 

V. 

Velasti,  work  of,  published  in  Greek,  print- 
ed in  Roman  characters,  837. 

Victory  without  wings  (apteros),  temple 
of,  36,  37. 

Virgin  Mary,  prayer  to,  122,  note. 

Visits,  Greek,  69. 

Vostitza,  230. 

Vourlia,  185. 

Vrana,  285. 

Vurcano,  monastery  of,  198. 

W. 

Wedding  in  the  upper  circles,  88,  etc. 

X. 

Xenophon,  equestrian  statue  of  his  sous, 

47. 
Xerochori,  262. 


Ypsilanti,  monument  of,  152. 


Zagoras,  Mount,  285. 
Zante,  island  of,  373. 


THE   END. 


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